It’s definitely not the case that the Bad Homburg tennis tournament got off to an easy start. The premiere fell victim to the pandemic in 2020, but a year later it took place under strict conditions. Sometimes there was sweltering heat, sometimes there was a storm and once an entire day of play was canceled due to rain.
In the last two years, only one semi-final could be played. The star players Simona Halep and Iga Swiatek no longer competed because they didn’t want to take any risks a few days before Wimbledon.
And yet the organizers were able to take stock with justifiable pride at a press event last week. After three editions so far, the tournament is a success on all levels. Last year, Center Court was sold out on six out of seven days. An additional 48,000 spectators came to the two freely accessible seats in front of the Kaiser-Wilhelms-Bad, and 20.9 million watched the games on TV.
More prize money, more stars
Bad Homburg’s mayor Alexander Hetjes (CDU) even called the tournament “the most important event of the year”. He referred to the enormous advertising effect for the city, massive increases in sales in retail in the city center and the at least partially free experience for citizens.
Especially since everything is supposed to get even better from this year. The professional organization WTA has upgraded the Bad Homburg Open to a so-called 500 tournament. That means: more world ranking points, more prize money, more stars. And as a result: new sponsors, new TV partners, new marketing options. There will even be a new grandstand in the freely accessible outdoor areas.
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But as bright as the future seems, it also has a few thorns. The growth could endanger the current character of the self-proclaimed “boutique tournament”. And once the appeal of the new thing wears off, it remains to be seen how enthusiastic Bad Homburg really is about tennis. In addition, the organizers are under pressure to have to double the prize money within five years. The WTA wants to raise its payouts to the level of men. It won’t all be easy. But that wasn’t the start either.