MT400 Helsingor: Q+A with the Tournament Directors
As the only tournament in Denmark on the ITF World Tennis Masters Tour Calendar in the 2023 season, the MT400 Helsingor is a significant tournament in the Scandinavian region.
Held in Helsingor, Denmark, on 26 June - 2 July 2023, the Kronborg Open has built its reputation through excellent facilities, accommodation options, and strong entry numbers. The MT400 Helsingor only appeared on the calendar for the first time in 2022, but has already impressed players on the Masters Tour.
We caught up with Tournament Director Henriette Nielsen to gain an insight into the activity behind-the-scenes in the run up to the event.
How many years have you been running the Helsingor ITF Masters event?
2022 was mine and Helsingor’s first year with ITF Masters.
What is a typical day like for you during the event?
A typical day for me during the event starts with checking all courts one more time, including clay and so on if this is needed. Then I help in the kitchen until the referee is on court, then I help him. I’m checking courts all day between the matches and then I upload lots of videos and pictures from the matches to Facebook and Instragram. Very often I also help the players with stringing and other things.
When do you start preparing for the tournament?
I start to prepare the tournament in November/December of the year before and then even more during the spring.
What have you changed from last year to this year?
We are prepared to have more matches this year, meaning we have booked more courts in a nearby tennis club. We also booked a professional to make our flyers this year [for promotional purposes].
What makes Denmark a great place to come and play tennis?
Denmark is a very nice and friendly country and Helsingor is the perfect club for this kind of tournament. The city is very nice for sightseeing, the hotel is charming, and is only 10 meters from the sea and 100 meters from the Helsingor Tennisclub!
How did you become interested in tennis? Do you play yourself?
I have played tennis since I was 10 years old and won lots of juniors and senior tournaments in Denmark. I played for Denmark in the Junior European Masters, senior Federation Cup and many other tournaments.
For more information on the MT400 - Helsingor, please visit the tournament page on the ITF website.