The 18th National Open City of Marbella Wheelchair Tennis recovers the women's draw

The 18th Open National City of Marbella Wheelchair Tennis Tournament, which will take place from Thursday, April 23 to Sunday, April 26 at the Paco Cantos Sports Center, will gather 23 participants and this year will see the return of the women's draw, which was absent in the last edition due to the complexity of its scheduling with the international calendar. This time, five players will compete in a 'round robin' format (each against all) starting Thursday, with doubles matches also taking place on Sunday. In the men's draw, 18 players will compete, including prominent Paralympic athletes such as Álvaro Illobre and Juan Manuel Ramos, as well as Francisco Javier Sánchez, who is also the president of CD Jacamar. In this case, the tournament will proceed through direct elimination from Thursday afternoon until the final, scheduled for Sunday morning.

The advisor to the municipal sports delegation, Juan Jesús Cabrera, has highlighted the value of the event for the city and stated that "this event is already a benchmark in the national calendar" and a demonstration of Marbella's support for inclusive sports. "We have a pioneering municipal school in Andalusia in this regard, which further enhances the significance of this meeting," he indicated.

Meanwhile, the president of CD Jacamar has pointed out that "we continue to grow and maintain participation numbers above average" and noted that "many players choose this location not only for the tournament but also for the climate, the atmosphere, and the support of volunteers. Here we are a big wheelchair tennis family." The championship will have free entry for the public from Thursday, starting at 3:00 PM.

The discipline maintains the same rules as conventional tennis with the only difference of allowing a second bounce

Moreover, the matches on the central court will be broadcast live on Facebook, in both men's and women's categories. Sánchez has invited all citizens to come and discover this discipline, "a fully competitive sport that maintains the same rules as conventional tennis, with the only difference being that it allows a second bounce." Additionally, he mentioned that Juan Manuel Ramos "does not compete, because he is already retired, but he only plays in the Marbella tournament because he likes it and continues to train on these courts."

The event will once again count on the active collaboration of students from the Municipal Sports School of Tennis, whose young members will participate as ball retrievers, assistants, and support to the players. Their involvement represents, according to the tournament director, Iván González, "a unique educational experience in a top-level sports environment."