Tennis Trophy 2019
International Master in Monaco
The great international tournament that celebrates fair play, respect and friendship has come to a close: the last, decisive sets of the event were played from 17 to 20 October at the great Monte Carlo Country Club, the site of the ATP Tour.
The final in Monaco has been the culmination of an international journey which began in early 2019, with the participation of 17,875 children across 13 countries, including Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Poland, Ukraine and Hungary, with a total of no less than 172 tournaments. The numbers are growing year on year, but the spirit of the event - this year in its third edition - remains the same, and perfectly reflects the mission and philosophy of the Kinder Joy of moving project. As such, the Tennis Trophy is much more than a simple sporting competition; it also promotes values such as confidence in oneself and in others, integration, friendship and respect.
This year, these important values are supported by an exceptional ambassador: the Croatian tennis player Ivan Ljubičić - perhaps better known by his nickname “Ljubo” - the former world number 3 in the ATP world rankings. Ljubo was in attendance at the official ceremony at the International Masters in Monaco, and took part in the award ceremony, as well as accompanying the young competitors during the event, particularly at the "meet & greet" on Sunday afternoon, where he was on hand to answer their questions and to pose with them for souvenir photos.
The four days of the finals have seen 94 players aged from 9 to 12 years who have succeeded in the national stages doing battle against one another. The matches were played without the help of referees, and the young players had plenty of opportunity to have fun and give their very best, with the guidance of a code of fair play with a strong focus on education.
A number of prizes were up for grabs at the final, including the Fair Play Trophy , which was awarded to the young tennis player who particularly standed out for his or her honesty and sporting spirit.
There have been a lot of opportunities for celebration and entertainment too: from the official ceremony scheduled for October 18 at 5.30 pm to the prize-giving and the visit to the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco on Saturday afternoon for the young people that were not playing in the matches. In addition, there was a tournament between children and parents on Sunday 20 October with Ivan Ljubičić court-side, along with many other opportunities for coming together and sharing experiences during the exciting activities organised in the Kinder Joy of Moving village.
The initiative was launched in 2006 in Italy on the basis of a format created by tennis player Rita Grande, a former Italian champion, in collaboration with Kinder Joy of moving, in order to promote an active lifestyle and spread a love of the sport through new generations. In 2017, it took on an international dimension, with a view to promoting the positive side of sport and the joy of movement at global level.
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