Beach tennis continues to make firm imprint in the sand: 2023 review
Beach tennis made a firm imprint in the sand in 2023 with the ITF Beach Tennis World Tour hosting a record 319 tournaments (up from 259 in 2022) and distributing $1.46million in prize money.
The Tour saw 4,243 players compete in total, with 2,609 men and 1,643 women from 75 different nations competing in 2023.
Thirty-five different nations hosted beach tennis tournaments across the globe during 2023, with Curacao, Dominican Republic, US Virgin Islands and Kenya joining the ITF Beach Tennis World Tour for the first time and Great Britain, Latvia, Martinique, Netherlands, Tahiti all returning to the Tour for first time since pre-pandemic.
The Sand Series – the pinnacle of the ITF Beach Tennis World Tour in boasting the highest rewards and ranking points, and showcasing elite athletes in prestigious global settings, extended its reach to include seven destinations in 2023, with new stops in Brazil (Ribeirao Preto and Valinhos) and Estonia (Parnu).
Prize money at Sand Series level climbed to $50,000 per event, a significant leap on the $35,000 offered in 2022.
There were 15 different Sand Series winners across the seven tournaments, with Giulia Gasparri winning four on the women’s side and Burmakin winning three Sand Series events on the men’s side. Sophia Chow was the only first-time winner of a Sand Series event.
Patty Diaz and Rafa Miiller completed the Classics set (winning Reunion, Gran Canaria, Brasilia, Saarlouis, and Aruba at least once) with victory in Brasilia, as did Nicole Nobile after triumphing in Aruba.
Diaz, Miiller and Nobile joined Italians Sofia Cimatti and Michele Cappelletti as the only players to have achieved that feat.
France could celebrate a standout season on the sand as Nico Gianotti became the first French No. 1 in ITF Beach Tennis, while he and Mattia Spoto became first-time World Champions in Cesenatico in May.
Daniela De Abreu Paczko Bozko played the most tournaments, featuring in 46 events throughout the year, while amongst the men, fellow Brazilians Airton Rodrigues Macedo and Miguel Peres both contested 34 tournaments.