Alexander Zverev at the BMW Open Press Conference
The ATP tour moves to Munich next week with the BMW Open by American Express scheduled to be held from April 25 to May 1.
The ATP 250 claycourt tournament is one of the oldest events on the tour, with a bevy of stars among its past champions. World No. 3 and home favorite Alexander Zverev headlines this year’s draw, which has a host of other top names.
With some mouthwatering action guaranteed to keep fans engrossed over the course of the week, here’s all the information you need to know about the BMW Open.
What is the BMW Open in Munich?
One of the oldest tennis tournaments, the BMW Open started in 1900 as the Bavarian International Tennis Championships. It has been held at the highly popular Münchner Tennis und Turnierclub (MTTC) Iphitos in Munich since its inception.
Since 1974, it has been known as the BMW Open. It became a part of the ATP World Tour 250 series in 2009.
It is the first of four German tournaments on the ATP calendar, with the others being staged in Stuttgart, Halle and Hamburg. Tennis superstars such as Guillermo Vilas, Ivan Lendl, Roger Federer and Andy Murray have lifted the trophy in the past.
This year’s top seed Alexander Zverev won the tournament in 2017-18 while Nikoloz Basilashvili emerged as the winner last year.
Venue
The tournament will be held on red clay at the renowned Münchner Tennis und Turnierclub (MTTC) Iphitos in Munich, Germany.
Players
Casper Ruud is the second seed in Munich
Having bowed out in the semifinals of the Monte-Carlo Masters, Alexander Zverev will look to get back to winning ways at home in Munich. The 25-year-old is still searching for his first title of the season and a return to a tournament which he has won twice in the past could help him rediscover his form.
The German leads the 28-player draw but will receive tough competition from the likes of second seed Casper Ruud and third seed Reilly Opelka. Both have posted strong results so far this season. While Ruud collected the trophy in Buenos Aires, Opelka triumphed in Delray Beach and Houston.
Fourth seed and defending champion Nikoloz Basilashvili, meanwhile, finished as the runner-up in Doha earlier this year.
The top four seeds have all been given a bye into the second round.
Cristian Garin, Dan Evans, Miomir Kecmanovic and Botic van de Zandschulp round out the top eight seeds. Also in the fray are Emil Ruusuvuori, Holger Rune, Maxime Cressy and former champion Philipp Kohlschreiber, who could shake up the draw.
Schedule
The qualifying rounds in Munich will be held on Saturday, April 23 and Sunday, April 24. The main draw action kicks off on April 25 at 11 am local time, with the grand finale scheduled for May 1.
Prize Money
The total financial commitment for the BMW Open is €597,900 while the prize money is €534,555.
Where to watch
Viewers from the US can catch all the action at the BMW Open live on the Tennis Channel, while fans in the UK will be able to see it live on Amazon Prime Video. Canadians can watch the matches live on TSN. In Australia, one can view the action on beIN Sports.
Fans in Germany will also get extensive coverage on BR24sport.de, Sky sports and Ran.de.
