This July Umag will become the centre of world-class tennis, spectacular exhibition matches, great fun with the best local music stars and international DJ setup and exquisite gourmet delicacies from the region of Istria. The reason for all of that is the 30th edition of the Plava Laguna Croatia Open that will be held in Umag from 12th to 21st of July.

First star that confirmed its participation in this year's event is Borna Coric. The 22-year-old Croatian's bond with the Umag tournament goes back to 2013 when he was only 16 and had his ATP Tour main draw debut. A year later he won his first ATP Tour main draw matches by reaching the quarterfinals in Umag. The current world number 15 and Davis Cup winner spoke to the media in Zagreb today and said: "I made my first steps on the ATP Tour in Umag and I have fantastic memories of the event. With the change of Davis Cup format, Umag is the only place where we can play in front of our home crowd and you can see how much it means to us. My best result in Umag is the quarterfinal and I will surely be extra motivated to do better than that. I would like to congratulate all the people of Umag on this important anniversary and promise I will give my best to make is extra special."

Recently Coric reached the quarterfinal stage at the Masters 1000 event in Monte Carlo, where he lost to Fabio Fognini. The Italian star went on to win the trophy beating Alexander Zverev and Rafael Nadal among others. Fognini currently holds a career-high ranking of 12 and he will surely be ambitious on the red clay in Umag where he will play for the 11th time in the last 12 years. Fognini was the winner in Umag back in 2016 when he celebrated the victory with his wife, 2015 US Open champion Flavia Pennetta.

"We all know how special this year is for our event. That's why we are super happy because of the tennis program we are able to present to you today. Borna and Fabio will attract a lot of fans and I wish them to come to Umag as Top 10 players. Borna won his first ATP matches in Umag. If he could win the title and become the third Croat to do so, it would be the best birthday present we could hope for", said the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag director Lawrence Frankopan.

Rematch of the first Umag final and the Wimbledon final in one place

Exhibition matches are a tradition in Umag that started with the 25th edition of the tournament and soon became a widely recognized and beloved part of the event. This year, the 30th tournament will be opened by a rematch of the first Umag final when the first Umag champion Goran Prpic and Goran Ivanisevic, his 1990 final opponent, hit the centre court on Saturday, July 13. Since both of them are known as great showmen, you can expect the unexpected in a night of great fun.

On Wednesday, July 17 Umag will recreate one of the most legendary Wimbledon finals of all time. The 2001 final between Goran Ivanisevic and his guest, beloved Aussie Patrick Rafter, will take us back to one of the most memorable tennis matches of all time. This time around, rather than the centre court of the All England Club, the stage will be the Goran Ivanisevic Stadium in Umag.

Jubilee of the most important sports and tourist event in Croatia

Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag is firmly holding a position as the best promoter of Croatian tourism for the 30th year in a row. Every year it attracts more and more guests and international, as well as national media, while continuing to invest in the quality and diversity of its program.

"This is an extremely important year for Umag. After being named the European City of Sports for 2018, Umag is proud to have reached its 30th year as the host of this tennis spectacle. As the mayor of Umag, I am extremely honored to acknowledge that ATP Umag has been promoting our town as a tourist and sports destination, the centre of fun and amazing cuisine for three decades", said Vili Bassanese, mayor of the City of

 

The matches from Umag are broadcasted in the most important markets for Croatian tourism. As in all 30 editions of the event, Croatian audience will be able to watch the matches from Umag on Croatian National Television. The partnership has been renewed as a new multi-year deal has been

 

"HRT has always focused on sports and made it one of the key elements of its program. We have been the broadcaster of the ATP Umag from its beginning and the renewal comes as a great way to celebrate this great relationship. We are very excited about this year's event. We have a couple of surprises for our viewers, including the documentary movie that will showcase why this event is so special", the general director of HRT Kazimir Bacic

 

"This will be a big year for our tournament. This success wouldn't have been possible without our sponsors and partners. It is my great pleasure to confirm the new deal with HRT that has been a reliable partner for us since our beginnings. The matches that the HRT crew records and the wonderful scenery of Stella Maris are broadcasted into the whole world promoting Croatian sports and tourism. We are especially proud of the fact that this year's matches will be broadcasted in prime time. This will be a year to remember. Thank you all and see you in Umag", said Neven Staver, the Plava Laguna Board