The Tiriac Foundation has announced the debut this May of the annual Romanian Tennis Series, its circuit of 14 ITF futures tournaments, according to a press statement released by the foundation on Tuesday.

The first two tournaments of the circuit are scheduled to start simultaneously in Bucharest, on May 6, a women’s tennis and a men’s tennis competition. Organised in partnership with the Romanian Tennis Federation, in addition to holding the 14 ITF tournaments as part of the Tiriac Foundation Futures and WTA 125 Tiriac Foundation Trophy, the Tiriac Foundation organises in Brasov an ATP challenger, prize pool USD 75,000, starting this year.

By developing its own ITF tennis tour, the Tiriac Foundation wants to offer Romanian players a chance to accumulate as many points as possible in international competitions.

The winners of the men’s tournaments of the Tiriac Foundation Futures will add 15 ATP points to their record. In women’s tournaments, the number of points will be allocated according to the tournament, so players who win competitions will be awarded 15 points for the ITF 15 tournaments and 35 WTA points for the ITF 35 winners, respectively. The total value of prizes will differ by the category of tournaments, with the cumulative prizes varying between USD 15,000 and USD 25,000.

The Romanian tennis player with the best run in the women’s circuit will receive a wild card for the main draw of the WTA 125 Tiriac Foundation Trophy tournament, scheduled for September at the National Tennis Centre in Bucharest.

The former singles top 10 player on the ATP Tour, Tiriac, says that the Romanian Tennis Series offers Romanian players a chance to reach the professional circuit.

„The Tiriac Foundation supports the organisation of this circuit to give a chance to our players who aspire to reach the professional circuit. It is essential that they receive the necessary support to assert themselves in the ATP and WTA rankings. At the same time, I am glad that we have managed to bring an ATP tournament to the Olimpia Sports Base in Brasov, a place to which I am deeply connected, because there, as a child, I took my first steps towards this extraordinary sport. I want the Brasov Challenger to become one of the biggest sports competitions in the country and the most important hosted by Brasov, a city with a long tradition in tennis,” says Tiriac.

In his turn, George Cosac, chairman of the Romanian Tennis Federation, says: „This initiative brings tennis closer to all enthusiasts, encourages local talent and offers equal opportunities for the development of this wonderful sport. We are grateful to the Tiriac Foundation for its constant and dedicated support in promoting tennis in Romania. This collaboration strengthens our conviction that we will build together a favourable environment for the development of this sport.”

AGERPRES