Tunisia loses one of its flagship sporting events: the international tennis tournament organized in Monastir will no longer appear on the WTA calendar.
The IMG company, responsible for its organization, announced its transfer to Brazil. The 2025 edition will be held in São Paulo, from September 6 to 14, in partnership with the Brazilian Tennis Institute, at the “Villa-Lobos” park.
Introduced in 2022, this category 250 tournament was born following the cancellation of WTA events in China, due to the controversy linked to sexual assault and the disappearance of the player Peng Shuai. This tournament had also been created in response to the rise of the Tunisian player Ons Jabeur, who had boosted the interest in women’s tennis in the region.
Organized for three seasons under the name of “Jasmine Open”, the Monastir tournament had allowed Tunisia to welcome high -level players and appear on the world tennis card. With an endowment of $ 250,000, he attracted an international audience each year and benefited from large media coverage.
The disappearance of this tournament represents a decline for the sporting and tourist influence of Tunisia. In addition to its symbolic significance, the event supported several local economic sectors, including hotel, catering and transport.