Tennis: behind closed doors, money, health constraints ... how Open 13 manages a “Covid” tournament

Classified in the ATP 250 category (like Montpellier, Lyon and Metz), the Open 13 started on March 8 in Marseille with a choice line-up.

Medvedev, who will be world No. 2 next week, Tsitsipas (No. 5), Sinner, Khachanov or Nishikori will tread the central of the Sports Palace.

Despite the uncertainties related to Covid-19, Jean-François Caujolle has never doubted the holding of the tournament.

“We have always said:

Whatever happens, unless the government or the prefecture absolutely prohibits any event, we will open

,” explains the director of the event.

Even if we had lost 300,000, 400,000 or 500,000 euros, we would have gone anyway.

For us, for the players, it was important not to skip a year.

The show must go on… ”

Forced to adapt like his fellows, the owner presents us the peculiarities of this edition.

A budget cut by a third

“Usually, the budget is around 5.4 million euros,” Caujolle says.

There, it will be more towards 3.6 million.

From the start, I had the strong support of the Bouches-du-Rhône department, the main partner, which represents a little less than a quarter of the budget and which adapted its participation while keeping the same proportions.

So I had the financial basis to go and make sure with the city that we would have the Palais des Sports and a financial contribution.

Behind, all our classic partners have said banco and we have removed from their contracts the hospitality part

(Editor's note: services for VIPs)

.

Only those who came only for hospitality declined.

"

D-1 🔥OPEN 13 PROVENCE 🔥 pic.twitter.com/BmJzcMMnmE

- Open 13 Provence (@ Open13) March 7, 2021

Help welcome

To balance its accounts, the Open 13 was able to benefit from various aids.

Starting with that of the French Tennis Federation, which was doubled to reach 350,000 euros.

Like all the events whose calendar has been modified because of the postponement of the Australian Open in February, Marseille received 300,000 Australian dollars (approximately 195,000 euros) in compensation from Tennis Australia.

“The ticket office represents around 40% of our revenue,” Caujolle calculates.

Entries bring in around 700,000 euros and a little over a million for public relations.

But, on the other hand, we spend less.

Because a village is quite expensive to set up.

This amounts to between 700,000 and 800,000 euros.

And the best

(Editor's note: Medvedev, Tsitsipas, Nishikori, Khachanov and Sinner)

have agreed to lower the amount of their guarantees.

"

In the stands of the Open 13, the public has been replaced by cardboard characters.

DR  

Among the participants, the overall prize money was initially halved.

But the top ranked and the Players Council agreed last week to redistribute in the ATP 250 and ATP 500 until the summer part of the bonus that is usually used to reward the Top 12 at the end of the season. .

The Mediterranean endowment has therefore risen to 80% compared to that of 2020 with a distribution that favors early losers.

Open 13 2021 pic.twitter.com/RMraEOJUxJ

- Open 13 Provence (@ Open13) March 6, 2021

A quality tray

Despite the health constraints in France, the Marseille scene looks good, notably with the duo Medvedev-Tsitsipas.

“The extra-sporting part may have made the difference for Rublev

(Editor's note: winner in Rotterdam last week)

, who chose Doha at the last moment, notes Caujolle.

Nishikori wondered, but he kept his commitment.

Medvedev has a contract for two years, Sinner for three years.

And Tsitsipas

(Editor's note: double title holder)

has a kind of moral commitment.

This is where he got one of his first wild cards and he will come back as long as he wins!

It comes for a lower guarantee than Doha and significantly lower than last year.

On players around the 20th or 30th place, with no guarantees, the choice was perhaps easier to go to Doha.

That's why we are less fleshed out at this level… ”

Hugo Gaston reaches the 2nd round of the Open 13 Provence

He has just eliminated Dennis Novak 3-6 / 6-4 / 6-1 @ HugoGaston7 pic.twitter.com/WeXJY1VgQo

- Open 13 Provence (@ Open13) March 8, 2021

Drastic health rules

"The most difficult in the organization, it is the fear until the last moment that there is something and that we cancel everything", breathes Caujolle.

The rule is simple.

Competitors' living space is divided between the Sofitel, the official hotel, and the Palais des Sports.

And basta.

No question of going for a stroll on the Old Port or on the Prado beaches.

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“ATP is very strict and the players themselves are super careful,” observes the boss.

They really stick to the letter.

There are regular PCR tests on site and all surfaces of the Palais des Sports are inspected every two evenings by the marine firefighters.

"

A special atmosphere

Normally, with 50,000 spectators in total to manage, security to ensure, services to monitor, Caujolle and his team must be in the oven and in the mill.

This time, the only visible audience is the one drawn on tarpaulins at the edge of the court ...

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in full relaxation.

DR  

“I follow tennis all year round through the results but I don't watch a lot of games,” he smiles.

I did a little the same here, following the scores at the Palais des Sports.

There, I'm not there all the time.

I arrive a little later, I leave a little earlier.

We miss all the life nearby, the warmth, the friendliness.

This Tuesday, we have Nishikori-Herbert, Lopez-Tsonga, Pouille.

It would have been a great day for the public… ”