BARCELONA – Great tennis players of the past will join leading players of the present to celebrate the passion and glamour of sport in the IWC Tennis Trophy, to be held at the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona on May 21-22. This exclusive event, hosted by Swiss luxury watch brand IWC Schaffhausen, a founding partner of Laureus, is being staged in the build-up to the seventh annual Laureus World Sports Awards at the Parc del Fòrum, Barcelona, on the evening of Monday, May 22.
Over two thrilling days of action, many outstanding players will participate, including Laureus World Sports Academy members Monica Seles and Ilie Nastase, who between them have won 11 Grand Slam singles titles, as well as Spanish legends like Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, Manuel Santana, Alex Corretja and Albert Costa. Also competing will be a trio of the most exciting current women players of today – Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova, Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova and Switzerland’s Patty Schnyder, quarter-finalist in this year’s Australian Open. They will be joined by eternally popular figures like France’s Henri Leconte , entertainer Mansour Bahrami and Japanese favourite Kimiko Date.
Play on Sunday, May 21, will be open to the public. Tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis and can be obtained from Real Club de Tenis Barcelona and at other outlets shortly. A detailed list of confirmed outlets will be available and communicated in the next week.
The IWC Tennis Trophy Programme includes:
Sunday, May 21 OPEN TO PUBLIC
10.00 Children’s Clinic and Professional Competition
11.30 Professional Exhibition
13.30 Exhibition Match
Monday, May 22 INVITATION ONLY EVENT
10.00 Pro-Am competition
13.00 Professional Exhibition.
WC makes time for Laureus and the city of Barcelona
IWC Schaffhausen became a founding partner of Laureus in 2005 as an element of the company’s corporate social responsibility programme, which aims to help those who are socially, physically or economically disadvantaged. According to IWC Schaffhausen CEO Georges Kern: “IWC is passionate about sport and is committed to bringing the public closer to Laureus. The IWC Tennis Trophy is an ideal way to share the glamour, passion and effectiveness of the organisation with the general public. The presence of numerous Laureus Academy members allows them an ideal opportunity to learn more about Laureus and its activities in an open atmosphere.
“We are very excited about the IWC Tennis Trophy which we hope will be one of the highlights of the Laureus World Sports Awards weekend. I would like to thank all the great tennis players for giving their time to support this event. I am particularly pleased that we will be able to welcome sports fans in Barcelona to come and watch the action on the Sunday. It should be an unforgettable day’s tennis,” he added.
Grand Slam of Glamour and Sport
Laureus Academy member Monica Seles will open the first day of the IWC Tennis Trophy with a special coaching session for children. She said: “I am very excited about hosting the tennis clinic for children. Sport is a great way to involve young people. As a Laureus Academy member, the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation for underprivileged youngsters around the world is enormously important to me.”