The countdown is on for the 17th European Beach Tennis Championships, set to begin in Crete on September 26th.
First held in 2007 as a team event, the competition has grown significantly and now regularly features over 100 players from 20 nations each year.
Just like in the previous edition, Nicolas Giannotti of France and Giulia Gasparri of Italy will try to defend the titles they won in 2023.
Gasparri, the reigning four-time champion, aims to continue an impressive streak, having secured either a gold or silver medal at every event since 2015. She will team up with Ninny Valentini, with whom she won the 2021 gold medal. Meanwhile, Nicole Nobile, currently the highest-ranked European and a three-time EBTC silver medalist, will play alongside Greta Giusti.
Ranked #12 and #17 on the ITF World Beach Tennis rankings respectively, Ariadna Costa Graell and Eva Fernandez Palos are returning to Crete after claiming the bronze medal last year, hoping to clinch gold this time and secure Spain’s first-ever women’s medal.
As for the men’s draw, France is represented by Giannotti, who will now pair with 2023 finalist Paul Gotarda, and by Guillaume Leruste, who will team up with Maxime Moretto. Their strongest opponents may be world #3 Mattia Spoto, who will compete alongside #6 Tommaso Giovannini for the formidable Italy, while #14 Diego Bollettinari will team up with Luca Andreolini.
Teams from 20 nations will be action, and recent years have shown that some major upsets can be expected on the road to victory.
The Hellenic Tennis Federation will host the event for the third time, with matches scheduled from 26 to 29 September at the Karteros Beach Sports Centre. Following the Championships, two junior Beach Tennis competitions will take place from 30 September to 2 October, featuring categories for players aged 14 & Under and 18 & Under.
Further Information
Nominations - Professional Event | Nominations 14 & Under | Nominations 18 & Under