Tennis sensation Alcaraz to defend title at Umag ATP

The brilliant 19-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who has taken the world of tennis by storm, will return to Umag in late July to defend his ATP Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag title. Currently ranked sixth in the world, after winning his second Masters 1000 title in Madrid last Sunday, Alcaraz is set to be the biggest star of the new edition of Umag’s ATP tournament, to be played from 22 to 31 July.  

The teenager from Murcia began his meteoric rise on ATP Tour after winning Umag in 2021.  

Following his premier ATP title and the win in the NextGen Finals in Milan, Alcaraz collected as many as four titles in 2022. Besides Madrid, where he became the first player ever to have beaten both Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic on clay in the same tournament, the Spaniard took the Masters 1000 title in Miami and won the ATP 500 tournaments in Rio de Janeiro, and Barcelona, thus collecting 3,460 ATP points in 2022, just 70 less than the current leader Rafael Nadal.   

"Carlos’ return is a reward for the years-long work of the people in charge of Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag. We have recognized Alcaraz’s talent when he was 15 and offered his team, led by the legendary Juan Carlos Ferrero, an invitation for the 2019 qualifiers and multi-annual cooperation. This is precisely why we have the privilege to be a part of his fairy-tale rise and host him again in Umag, Istria, Croatia”, said tournament director Tomislav Poljak.

“We have believed since day one that Carlos would become a great player, but no one could predict things would be developing this fast. Alcaraz has many challenges ahead of him before Umag, and many see him as one of the main favorites at Roland Garros. We’re convinced that his performances in the upcoming weeks will be an even better invitation for all tennis lovers to join us in Stella Maris in late July.“.  

“We’re looking forward to another edition of Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag, which I expect to be one of the best so far, in terms of competition. The traditional ATP tournament will also offer an impressive culinary and entertainment program, as expected from Umag. Plava Laguna is a proud organizer and sponsor of the biggest tennis tournament in Croatia, and since tourism is our primary business activity, our goal is to make sure that all tournament guests have a great time on our vacation playgrounds”, said  Dragan Pujas, Chairman of the Plava Laguna Management Board.  

This year, Umag will again become a tennis mecca where, in addition to the main tournament, nearly 500 recreational players will compete in the accompanying ones, such as the traditional VIP and HEPi tournaments, Umag Stars Open, and the third edition of the ITF wheelchair tournament. There is also a new edition of Road to Umag, a series of tournaments played all around Croatia before the final in Umag.

»» Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag: 22. - 31.2022.

[13/05/2022]