1681974151 The charm of Godo in the absence of space a

The charm of Godó: in the absence of space, a unique spirit

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The charm of Godo in the absence of space a

The hitting of the ball, the sweeping of the floor and the metallic sound of the portable stands are the three sounds most heard in the facilities of the Reial Club Tenis de Barcelona (RCTB) during the week that Godó lasts. A unique and special tournament. “Different, different”, convey the tennis players who come and go these days through the quiet Pedralbes district, located in the upper part of Barcelona, ​​which changes its appearance for two months while a pyramid of iron and canvas rises to the top 20 meters higher. It is the central court, which since 2017 has been called Rafa Nadal, with a capacity for 8,000 people – thanks to the 2012 expansion – and whose grandstands are removable, like those of the Andrés Gimeno court and the second court.

The club’s 2,200 members live with and appreciate the transformation; After all, the best tennis players in the world parade through the sands of Barcelona for a week and the tournament is already one of the most emblematic and well-known on the calendar. You not only accept it, you are an active part. The youngest act as ball boys (80) and the older perform various functions, with a total of 120 employees. “It is a luxury for us to host such a historic and special event; Not only does it not bother us, but we are the first to help,” explains a member of the historic Catalan club.

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The tournament belongs to the third category of tennis leaders, the ATP 500. However, this does not prevent the participation of numerous personalities who appreciate the closeness of workers and collaborators. “Many players tell us that you can breathe tennis and true history here,” says the organization; “When you arrive and see the garden, pool and masia (clubhouse) you find a warmth that you might not find at other tournaments where the facilities are mostly prefabricated. They like to be in the same places that Santana, Borg, Lendl, Nastase, Laver or even Suzanne Lenglen or Fred Perry walked in their day.”

Barcelona’s spirit has also appealed to giants like Sampras, Agassi, Djokovic and of course 12-time champion Nadal. Instead of walking through luxurious red-carpeted corridors, they all walk down a stone path surrounded by bushes and meet clay-covered caretakers who come down from the plaza’s irrigation to show them that they’re playing in a club and not one cold and artificial enclosure.

“You notice a lot that the land is well maintained and of good quality. Tennis is played here all year round and the court is prepared in the same way every month. It must be taken into account that the partners have such a high economic level that demand is maximum. That’s why we hired staff to groom the slopes all year round; In fact, the track manager has been working here for more than 25 years,” they emphasize from the organization.

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The complex is fenced, surrounded by roads and houses, so there is no possibility of expansion. While other tournaments grow territorial, Godó makes up for this limitation with charm. But that’s not the only hurdle he had to overcome. In 1986 he was about to leave the calendar when he ended the previous year in losses and demanded from the high echelons of tennis that he raise prizes to at least half a million dollars. The situation was revealed by the negotiations of the director Sixte Cambra with the company IMG, which professionalized the administration of the tournament. Since the 1987 edition, the balance has always been positive and today the 70th edition is celebrated with all the tickets sold.

“We are a closed association with 2,200 members. For a new one to come in, someone else has to go, and he also needs at least two guarantees from other partners. It’s like Wimbledon, a club we’re partners with. We also have a partnership with Barça and next year they will both be 125 years old.” David Ferrer is currently in charge of the sport, who played 45 games as a player and lost to Nadal in four finals.

“We’ve put a lot of effort into making this year a very special year, with the luck that almost everyone wants to come,” says the 41-year-old from Alicante, who has won 27 titles. “We are a tournament with features that make it attractive to professionals, and we differentiate ourselves by having its facilities completely remodeled to accommodate visitors. We can’t grow in size, but we can grow in quality,” concludes Cambra, while fans look forward to this Thursday’s meeting between Carlos Alcaraz and Roberto Bautista (not before 16:00, Teledeporte).

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