This Saturday (02/18) will begin one of the biggest events in the state’s sporting calendar: the Rio Open reaches its ninth edition with world tennis stars in the running, including the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, world number two ranking. Held at the Jockey Clube Brasileiro, in Gávea, south zone of Rio de Janeiro, the competition will have an exclusive space of the state government, partner of the initiative with investments of 13.8 million reais through the Law of sports incentive, through the Sports and Leisure Secretariat and the Claro company.

For Governor Cláudio Castro, hosting South America’s biggest tennis tournament – ​​and Brazil’s only ATP tournament – ​​proves Rio’s profile for hosting major sporting events.

– Rio State is dedicated to sports, and events like this signal the recovery of our credibility to host major competitions. It is initiatives like this that breathe a virtuous circle into our economic, tourism and sports development. The competition always takes place during carnival, further encouraging the movement in our state. Welcome everyone! – underlined the governor Cláaudio Castro.

The Secretary of State for Sports and Recreation, Rafael Picciani, highlights the importance of the Sports Incentive Law and points out that, in addition to helping Rio de Janeiro consolidate itself as a stage for major sports competitions, it also promotes various sectors of society through the social counterparts provided for in the legislation.

– The incentive law is a fantastic instrument that the government of Rio makes available because it allows the viability of major events and guarantees the social fixation of the actions generated. Rio de Janeiro has been a partner of the Rio Open through this law since its first edition and the legacy left by the event over these years is enormous,” said the secretary.

About 60,000 people are expected during the nine days of competition, from the 18th to the 26th. In addition to seeing great foreign athletes, Brazilian fans will have the opportunity to witness the last movements of Thomaz Bellucci from São Paulo, who has already announced that the competition will mark its farewell to professional tennis.

On the first weekend (the 18th and 19th), the qualifying dispute takes place. From Monday 20, the main draw of the tournament begins, the grand champion being known on Sunday 26.

Solidarity at stake

Located on the part named Leblon Boulevard, the exclusive state government space has a convenience zone where visitors can experience a virtual tennis match through electronic games. RioSolidario’s “Rain of Solidarity” campaign will also be promoted on the site, in favor of the victims of the rains, with the collection of non-perishable foodstuffs, mineral water, cleaning products and personal hygiene. All proceeds will go to more than 1,300 registered organizations that work with families in socially vulnerable situations across the state.

The Winners’ Tournament opens the event and gives athletes the opportunity for social projects

Since its first edition in 2014, the Rio Open has supported social initiatives and believed in the transformative power of sport. The winners’ tournament, which started on the 15th and will continue until the 19th, is aimed in particular at children and young people who attend the Escolinha Fabiano de Paula, Futuro Bom and Tênis na Lagoa projects, all partners of the competition, in addition to Núcleo Esportivo Open de Rio.

Participants also win tickets to attend the matches of the Rio Open, and some of them will be part of the Ball Kids team, the famous “boleiros”. Big names in the sport, like Swiss Roger Federer and Canadian Denis Shapovalov, were footballers as children.

In addition, 16 young people from the projects will be trained to work in the areas of access control, food and beverage, entertainment, technology, dressing rooms, logistics and merchandising at the Rio Open 2023 .

gravel slum

In this edition, in addition to the social projects already covered by the Incentive Law, the young people of the Complexo do Alemão will have the opportunity to watch, for the first time, an international tennis match. More than 40 students from the Favela Tênis project will receive invitations to the event through the Sports and Leisure Secretariat and Suderj.

They are young people from 9 to 23 years old who take tennis and French lessons, through an initiative that believes that occupying spaces and guaranteeing opportunities goes beyond the practice of sport. The project leads its students to discover places outside the community, since in most cases they are young people who have never had the opportunity to occupy other spaces.

– Once we took some students to train at Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas and one of them, who was already 17, thought we were in Madureira. We want everyone to be able to know where they live, expand their horizons and dream big. Sport is a tool to open more doors and go further – said Ruan Melo, creator of the project.

SERVICE

Event: Rio Open
Venue: Jockey Club Brasileiro – Rua Mário Ribeiro, 410 – Lagoa, Rio de Janeiro

Winners Tournament:

02/15 – 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
02/16 – 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
02/17 – 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
02/20 – Finals – 10 a.m.

Dance training:

February 15 to 17 – 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Rio Open 2023 – February 18-26

18 and 19 – Qualifications – single session 4 p.m. – doors open at 3 p.m.
20 to 23 – 1st and 2nd rounds – two sessions 4:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. – doors open at 3:00 p.m.
24 – Quarter-finals – single session 4 p.m. – doors open at 3 p.m.
25 – Doubles semi-finals and final – single session 5:00 p.m. – doors open at 3:00 p.m.
26 – Final – single session 5:30 p.m. – doors open at 3:00 p.m.

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