When I moved to Barcelona I honestly struggled to find tennis competitions. I saw (multiple!) padel tournaments happening every weekend but the tennis scene looked different - at least their online presence.
With this list, I’d like to help you if you’re in the same shoes eager to compete.
By the Catalan Tennis Federation
The website of the Catalan Tennis Federation is the number one resource for tennis competitions not only in Barcelona but in Catalonia. Be careful, the level is high because you can earn points for the ranking of The Royal Spanish Tennis Federation or the Catalan one. Plus, at some of them, you can win cash prizes.
My experience is that the majority of players are aged between 14 - 18 and as I mentioned they are really great. They attend tournaments regularly so, besides their talent and great fitness level, they are used to competing.
Of course, there are plenty of tournaments for seniors too, usually starting from age 30+ up until 80+. At these ones, you will usually find ex-professionals or hobby players with still a good level of tennis.
The registration fee is around 20-30 EUR and usually includes the court bookings and balls.
Senior competitions organized by ITF (International Tennis Federation)
A big advantage of living in Barcelona is that you can participate in 2-3 really high-level ITF senior tournaments almost every month. The categories are run from 30+ until even 80+ for both men and women and singles, doubles, and sometimes mixed doubles too.
These tournaments usually last 5-7 consecutive days and are organized in a really professional way including some extra events (like player’s cocktail party, racket testing) too.
I cannot wait for my 30th birthday so that I can start my ITF Senior adventures!
Independent Amateur Leagues: ETLA & Play Tennis
If you’ve recently started playing tennis and want to try yourself, independent leagues are for you.
For a relatively small registration fee (15-30 EUR per tour) you can get multiple matches (even if you lose, through consolation) because the purpose of such leagues is to provide you with as many match opportunities as possible.
The fee usually doesn’t include the court bookings or balls, only the coordination of the tournament. These leagues usually have different categories so you can easily find your level or get exposed to one which you want to reach.
I participated in one of ETLA’s tours in the Barcelona B category where I had weekly matches in a playoff method. After I got my next opponent, I had to get in touch with them and coordinate when and where to play our match. We had a little bit more than 1 week to do that.
I managed to make it to the final (and win) which was a special experience for me because we played the match on the courts of Club Vall d’Hebron where the 1992 Olympics took place. For the finals, ETLA provided an umpire who wrote match statistics and even recorded our match by the camera.
There’s another tournament, PlayTennis, which has a similar play system. It is organized twice a year with two phases of group matches each followed by a play-off. Players are allocated to groups according to their level. Additionally, there is a cup with eliminations.
Tournaments organized by clubs
If you’re a tennis club member, chances are that they organize regular competitions for you. The main purpose is usually to provide match possibilities for members as well as encourage building relationships for the members.
At my club, Barcino, we have two annual competitions for recreational-level players: both including group stage matches. I like them because whenever I play a great match I exchange contact with my opponent so that we can train together or play another match later.
Don’t worry if you’re not a member of a club in Barcelona.
There are tournaments open for non-members too. It’s not easy to catch them though. There are a few clubs that regularly organize such competitions, like Vall Parc and Andres Gimeno. These can be either cup or league-style competitions. A big plus of attending a club’s own competition is getting to know other courts and making tennis friends from all around the world.
Playing tennis competitions is a great way to improve your tennis and discover your strengths/weaknesses under pressure.
Do you know of any tournaments? Write a comment about them!
See you on the court!