The Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba, the birthplace of beach tennis, is expected to attract hundreds of professional and amateur players and spectators for the Aruba Open Beach Tennis Championships from 13-20 November 2022.
With a prize purse of US$60,000, it is the world’s premier beach tennis tournament and, with its associated parties and other social events, makes a much-anticipated return after previous pandemic cancellations.
Beach tennis is similar to its bigger sister lawn version, with a smattering of volleyball and badminton thrown in. Players volley a pressureless tennis ball back and forth over the net without letting it hit the sand. It is the number one beach sport in Aruba and holidaymakers can easily make their debut with lessons with a local pro readily available. Such is the popularity of the sport that courts around Eagle Beach and Palm Beach are well-lit at night and available 24/7.
The Aruba Beach Open features seven tournaments, including mixed doubles, singles, doubles for men and women, a junior event, a team cup and a nations cup.
Matches are staged, as in previous years, at Bushiri Beach, a couple of miles north of capital Oranjestad. It was once the location of a major resort, which was closed and subsequently demolished in 2016 to create an attractive recreational beach area.
Play runs throughout the eight days of the tournament, with live music or DJs performing in the evenings and with a spectacular closing party on Sunday 20 November.
See more at arubabeachtennisopen.com and aruba.com