(L-R) Denise Schiltz, FLT board member, tournament director; Carlo Poos, tournament director; Claude Lamberty, FLT President; Christian Pepin, main referee;
Credit: Ali Sahib, Chronicle.lu
On Sunday 19 January 2025, the ITF World Tour tournament, the Luxembourg Open, will begin at the Centre National de Tennis (CNT) in Esch-sur-Alzette, featuring a prize fund of $60,000.
The first two days of the tournament will see qualification matches, followed by the main draw starting on Tuesday 21 January with 32 players competing in each category. According to Claude Lamberty, President of the Luxembourg Tennis Federation (FLT), this year's tournament will mark a significant milestone: "It's the first time that we have a men’s and women’s tournament at the same time. It's quite a big event, especially for our national players, including the Davis Cup team and our top women players. Having a tournament in Luxembourg allows them to showcase their talent in front of their fans, sponsors, and the press. As a federation, it also gives them a platform to earn points for the WTA or ATP rankings, which is crucial for young players. We’re very happy to organise such an event here in Luxembourg."
Luxembourg's men's national tennis team will also compete as they prepare for their World Group I play-off match against Lithuania in the Davis Cup this February. Players such as Alex Knaff, Chris Rodesch, Raphael Calzi and Gilles Kremer, who secured their place in this stage of the competition, will be in action.
The top seed in the men's tournament is Belgium's Gauthier Onclin (No. 239th ATP rankings), while Slovakia's Viktoria Hruncakova (No. 236th WTA rankings) leads the women's draw. Notable participants include Mikael Ymer from Sweden, a former Top 50 ATP player, and Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer, who once held the world No. 12 spot.
The Luxembourg Open will also mark the return of 21-year-old Marie Weckeler following an injury sustained in October 2024. Currently ranked 542nd in the WTA rankings, Weckeler expressed optimism about her comeback: "It's my first tournament after the injury, so I don't want to be too hard on myself or put too much pressure on myself. I hope to go far in the tournament and show Luxembourg fans some great tennis. I played a very good season last year, and I want to stay on the same path without putting too much pressure on rankings. I believe anything can happen, and focusing on a specific number can be limiting. My goal is to progress as I did last year and climb as high as possible in the rankings."
The doubles final and singles semi-finals will take place on Saturday 25 January 2025 at the CNT, with the men's and women's singles finals scheduled for Sunday 26 January 2025. Admission for spectators is free.
(Pictured: Claude Lamberty, FLT President; Marie Weckeler, tennis player; credits: Ali Sahib, Chronicle.lu)
