The start of the 34th Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag ATP tournament is just five months away, and the arrival of one of the best players in the world has already been confirmed. Or better yet, his return, because Andrey Rublev, fifth in the current ranking, has already played at Stella Maris, and won his first big professional title in 2017 in Umag. This will be the last tournament before the Paris Olympics, with tennis competitions starting as early as 27 July, so this year’s Umag finals are also scheduled for that day.
“Andrey is one of the most popular players on the Tour. But it’s hard to say if he is loved more by the fans or his fellow tennis players. The main reason for winning the sympathies around the world is most definitely his charisma and temperament. Umag audience saw for themselves his skills as a player back in 2015, when he competed by invitation for the main tournament, and winning a title in 2017 paved his way to the top, where he has belonged for years“, said the Tournament Director Tomislav Poljak.
“Today, when we have Rublev, fifth best player in the world, joining us in Umag, we can once again acknowledge the importance of recognising young and up-and-coming stars. We have used this formula in Umag for the past decade and, apart from Andrey, we also brought, for example, Alcaraz, Sinner or Auger-Aliassime, so we will surely continue with this approach. Last year, Plava Laguna presented its Plava Laguna Sport brand, positioning itself as a tourism company as well as an organiser of the largest sports events in Croatia“, pointed out Dragan Pujas, President of the Management Board, Plava Laguna.
In his career, Rublev has won 15 ATP tournaments, of which his last year’s title at the ATP Masters 1000 in Monte Carlo is especially worth mentioning. In 2021, he won a gold medal at the Olympics and the Davis Cup, and he began 2024 by winning the Hong Kong title.
His current, fifth placement on the ATP singles ranking, is also his best raking in his overall career. One could say that Andrey’s win of his first ATP title at 2017 in Stella Maris, when he entered the main tournament even though suffering defeat in the final leg of the qualifiers as a lucky loser, after Borna Ćorić withdrew due to injury, was almost cinematic. He then began his triumphant charge, where he joined the greats, such as Moya, Muster, Čilić, Fognini, Thiem, Wawrinka, Alcaraz, Sinner, and many others.
This year’s Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag will be held between 19 July and 27 July, and this will be the 34th edition of the oldest ATP tournament in Croatia. The schedule will be significantly different than during the previous seasons because this year the Umag tournament is immediately followed by the tennis competition at the Paris Olympics. The main tournament will start as early as Sunday, 21 July, the semi-final match is scheduled for Friday (26 July), and the final match will be held on Saturday (27 July).
Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag will once again be a premium sporting event, and everyone looking to secure their seats at the Stella Maris show can get their tickets at the link of the official webshop. Tickets for the central court (ATP Stadium Goran Ivanišević) have been available online since 1 March, and tickets for the Grandstand will be available for purchase at the ATP shop. Tickets are daily and guarantee access to all matches schedules for the day.