105,500 visitors attended the TERRA WORTMANN OPEN in Halle/Westphalia over the nine days of the tournament. “The 33rd edition of this grass-court classic was a tournament that fans will remember for a long time to come,” said tournament director Ralf Weber (62) at a press conference ahead of the final.
“A German superstar for 15 euros – where else but here can you get that?”
The organisers are more than satisfied with the turnout: although there were ‘only’ 300 more fans than last year, given that there was no public holiday during the tournament week this time, they regard the figure as extremely encouraging.
The start of the main draw on Monday alone saw a rush of visitors the likes of which has not been seen since the ATP event’s debut in 1993. “On Monday, we welcomed 12,500 spectators – more than ever before,” says Weber happily. He explains: “Many fans bought a ground ticket on the spur of the moment to watch Alexander Zverev in the doubles. A German superstar for 15 euros – where else but here can you get that?”
Since 2015, star attraction Zverev has only missed the tournament once
There is no doubt that Alexander Zverev – particularly following his victory at the Grand Slam tournament in Paris – was the star attraction of the event. The German number one is one of the players who have remained loyal to the Hall tournament every year since 2015. It was only in 2022, when Zverev sustained a complicated ligament injury to his ankle in Paris, that the DTB star had to withdraw.
“It was, of course, all the more wonderful that Sascha came straight to us after his first Grand Slam victory. His tribute was one of the highlights of the tournament for us,” emphasises Ralf Weber.
There was no shortage of sporting highlights at the 33rd TERRA WORTMANN OPEN either. “The quality of the field is unrivalled among tournaments in the 500 category,” says Weber, backing up his claim with figures. Eight of the top 13 players in the world rankings competed in Halle this year, five of whom reached the quarter-finals.
Aiming to secure long-term commitments from US players
The fact that the stars feel at home is also demonstrated by the fact that professionals who were knocked out early on – such as Learner Tien, Andrey Rublev and Alexander Bublik – stayed in Halle for the whole week to prepare as well as possible for the Wimbledon tournament.
On the sporting front, the organisers of the Haller Tournament have once again shown they have a keen eye, signing up new faces in Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe – players who perfectly combine success with an attractive style of play. “I’ve really enjoyed watching the lads. Ben’s style of play in particular goes down well. He was an instant crowd favourite,” notes Weber. He hopes that Shelton and co. have taken a liking to the East Westphalian tournament: “We’d like to work with them on a long-term basis. I’m already on good terms with Ben’s father, Bryan,” says Weber, who intends to step up discussions after the grass-court season. Weber has also arranged further talks with Jannik Sinner’s management following Wimbledon. The two top seeds, Alexander Zverev and Felix Auger-Aliassime, remain under contract for the coming year.
Eleven-hour tennis marathon with a night session
For all die-hard tennis fans, there was an additional highlight on Thursday. As three of the four quarter-final matches went to three sets, and Alexander Zverev’s two-set victory over Belgium’s Raphael Collignon also lasted almost two hours, spectators were treated to live tennis on Centre Court from 11.30 am to 10.45 pm – a stretch of more than eleven hours. More than 1,000 fans were on the edge of their seats during the (unplanned) night session right up until match point in Frances Tiafoe’s match against Felix Auger-Aliassime.
The tournament has now become a regular fixture
“But it was another fantastic week for everyone, even those who might not be the biggest tennis fans and just want to experience the event,” notes Sven Wortmann. Since the start of the year, the 38-year-old has been joint managing director, alongside Weber, of OWL Sport & Event GmbH, which operates the heristo-arena. During his many walks around the complex on Roger-Federer-Allee, Wortmann was once again delighted by the atmosphere: “The atmosphere at the complex was brilliant once again – we’ve become a regular meeting place in the region, even off the court.”
To ensure this remains the case, significant investment is currently being made in modernising the stadium. The new LED screens were already a prominent feature this year, and many of the toilet facilities have also been refurbished. Wortmann emphasises: “Digitalisation also plays a major role for us. This year, cashless transactions have risen from 50 to 70 per cent.” The figures from the social media department also reflect this trend: the tournament’s reach on Instagram has increased from 20 million to 60 million views over the past 30 days.
Ticket sales for the 34th TERRA WORTMANN OPEN have already begun. The good news is that tickets have actually become cheaper for some categories. Sven Wortmann: “It’s important to us that families can still afford to spend a day with us at the venue.”
