Anabel Medina faces a special challenge in 2023 for several reasons: it will be her first tournament as a mother, while certifying the consolidation of the event as a WTA and reference in Spanish territory.
In addition to her intense activity as captain of the Billie Jean King Cup, she is also a television commentator. One of the pioneers in combining elite sport with entrepreneurship in the industry.
‘I am very satisfied and proud of the work we have done over the years. We have always sought to be a tournament that would grow with a head and could take steps to establish itself in the international calendar. And the fact of facing our second year as WTA reflects that philosophy we had from the beginning’, she points out.
In fact, he speaks of the choice of Sara Sorribes as headliner as a consequence of the plan established from the birth of the idea. ‘She represents everything we have always sought and communicated that we are. The support for women’s tennis, the Spanish and Valencian players, the commitment to values such as self-improvement and humility. In addition, she is a player of a very high level, which adds even more value to us as an event. Having profiles like hers makes us grow’, she affirms.
She also believes that many of the young players will be able to look at themselves in the mirror of the player from Castellón. Our commitment to local tennis is proving to generate very good results. Leyre Romero thanked us last year because the fact of competing against high-level profiles not only gave her more confidence, but also a boost in her career. The same happened with Ángela Fita, who was able to play great matches in front of her home crowd. The U-16 tournament is also along the same lines. We are getting girls who are taking their first steps in professionalism not only to play on this stage, but also to share experience with Top 100 players, so that when they join the circuit, the leap is not as big as it would be if they entered suddenly’, she assures.
All this has contributed to her union with the company Tennium, co-organizer of the BBVA Open Internacional de Valencia. ‘I’ve always been confident in the growth of the tournament, but I started to see it as much more feasible when we started working together. For me it has been amazing how quickly we have reached the goal of becoming a WTA 125 and how we have consolidated. We have always sought to go slowly with a firm base, but their experience and organizational level add enormously to us’.
For all these reasons and for one more aspect, the Valencian trophy is a worldwide reference. Our goal has always been to become an example and a mirror in many areas, from local care and quarrying to inclusion. But it was clear to us that what we could contribute most to society was a sustainability initiative. That is why we are the first women’s tournament in the world to have a neutral carbon footprint and we will continue to be committed to this philosophy, and we are delighted that the world of sport is beginning to support us,’ she concludes.
