The Tennis Club Els Gorchs has presented the XIII ITF 100K International Tournament of Les Franqueses, awarded the European City of Sport Prize.
The event hall of Espai Can Prat hosted the presentation of the XIII ITF 100K International Tournament of Les Franqueses, awarded the European City of Sport Prize. The traditional international women’s tennis tournament, organized annually by Tennis Club Els Gorchs as part of its Gorchs Tennis Project, will take place from Monday, October 21 to Sunday, October 27 at the club’s facilities in Les Franqueses. This high-level event will feature players ranked between 80 and 120 in the WTA rankings.
The presentation, hosted by journalist Anna Freixa, included the participation of the Mayor of Les Franqueses, Juan Antonio Corchado Ponce, the Sports Councillor, Carlos Munzón Cruz, the Secretary General of Sports of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Abel García Marín, the Deputy for Sports at the Barcelona Provincial Council, Jesús Naharro Rodríguez, the President of the Catalan Tennis Federation, Jordi Tamayo de Winne, the representative of the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation’s board, Helena Sanmartín Cervera, the President of Tennis Club Els Gorchs, Jaume Marquès Pujadas, the Director of the Gorchs Tennis Project, Daniel Laga Abizanda, and its three ambassadors, former tennis players Albert Costa Casals, Neus Àvila Bonastre, and José Coronado Ramírez. They all emphasized the importance of this tournament on a Catalan, national, and international level, and congratulated the club for its leadership.
In this regard, the Sports Councillor of Les Franqueses thanked the club, stating that “this tournament and projects like the Gorchs Tennis Project have been key factors in being selected as the Best European City of Sport for 2024. The exposure, the international level, and the reach we’ve achieved have scored us significant points, and the ACES Europe judges took this into account. That’s why they were an important part of this recognition.“
Similarly, the Mayor of Les Franqueses, Juan Antonio Corchado Ponce, highlighted the good work of “municipal organizations like Tennis Club Els Gorchs, which are capable of organizing international-level tournaments that help to spread the name of Les Franqueses around the world. This tournament is a great example of what they are capable of, and a clear reason why we were chosen as the Best European City of Sport for the year.”
Jaume Marquès Pujadas, Director of the Gorchs Tennis Project, praised the high level of participation and the fact that some players return year after year. “This shows that we treat them well and that they feel welcomed in Les Franqueses. The players talk amongst themselves and decide to return because they feel supported here. Many who do not participate are unable to because their ranking does not allow it, not because they don’t want to.”
Thus, a total of 32 players from around the world will compete from Monday to Sunday in both the singles and doubles draws. Throughout the week, tennis fans will be able to enjoy matches at Tennis Club Els Gorchs, featuring players such as the tournament’s top seed, Italy’s Sara Errani, last year’s finalist in Les Franqueses and a top player who reached the final of Roland Garros in 2012. The lineup will also include Catalan players like Marina Bassols Ribera and Guiomar Maristany Zuleta de Reales.
The XIII ITF 100K International Tournament of Les Franqueses, awarded the European City of Sport Prize, will go beyond competition, organizing parallel events throughout the week, such as a tasting of the local “ganxet” bean and recognition of the work of the three ambassadors of the Gorchs Tennis Project.
