April the 8th, 2025 – From June the 2nd to the 8th, Makarska will once again become the centre of world tennis and top entertainment. Another edition of the popular WTA Makarska Open hosted by Valamar has been announced.
The final preparations are currently underway for another edition of the wildly popular WTA Makarska Open hosted by Valamar. From June the 2nd to the 8th, the world’s tennis elite and sports fans from all over the world will once again gather on the tennis courts of Makarska’s Tennis Centre, just a stone’s throw from the beach. This will be the fourth edition of the WTA Makarska Open, the tenth organised by Feliks Lukas and his team, and the 19th in Croatia thus far.
the wta makarska open – from island to mainland
It’s worth briefly recalling that the history of the WTA tournament in Croatia began way back in 1991 in Bol on the island of Brač. Back then, the titles were won by famous tennis players: Italian Sandra Cecchini (1991), Croatian representative Mirjana Lučić twice (1997 and 1998), American Corina Morariu (1999), Slovenian Tina Pisnik (2000), Swedish Asa Svensson (2002), Russian Vera Zvonareva (2003), Luxembourger Mandy Minella (2016), Serbian tennis player Aleksandra Krunić (2017), Slovenian Tamara Zidanšek also twice (2018 and 2019) and currently one of the best tennis players in the world, Italian Jasmine Paolini (2021).
By moving across to the mainland in Makarska, the tournament has gained additional importance. Over more recent years, the titles have been won by German Jule Niemeier (2022), Egyptian Mayar Sherif (2023) and American Katie Volynets (2024).
The final matches continue to delight the audience year after year and confirm the high level of competition that takes place at the WTA Makarska Open. Last year, a record number of Croatian representatives took part. As many as seven of them played at the foothills of the mighty Biokovo mountain, which is the largest number of Croatian tennis players at any major tennis tournament.
a boost for makarska’s pre-season
“This WTA tournament has been a springboard for Croatian tennis players from the very beginning, supporting their sporting journey,” emphasised WTA Makarska Open director Feliks Lukas. He added that this year, visitors can also expect a rich accompanying programme full of educational workshops, fantastic concerts and the much loved Kids Day on Kačić Square in the heart of Makarska itself.
“When we received our license a decade ago and thus continued the history of the WTA tournament here in Croatia, our goal was to continuously grow and connect sports, tourism and entertainment. Obviously, this effort has been recognised, and the quality of our tournament is confirmed by the fact that some of the best tennis players in the world, such as Spain’s Paula Badosa, Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia and Greece’s Maria Sakkari, have all come and played in it. In addition to all of that, organising the tournament in the pre-season is a great idea, because during the tournament there is an increase in tourist arrivals for Makarska. For example, on the day of the final of the first tournament back in 2022, Makarska recorded an increase in tourist arrivals by almost 500% and overnight stays by more than 200% compared to the same day in 2021. As organisers, a positive impact on the local community and the promotion of Makarska as an sports and tourist destination are extremely important to us,” explained Lukas.
the most beautiful type of invite to makarska
WTA Makarska Open hosted by Valamar has become synonymous with the combination of sports, entertainment and tourism. It naturally provides a truly unforgettable experience to all participants and guests with the support of partners the City of Makarska and Valamar Riviera.
“Valamar is the proud general partner of this event for the fourth year in a row, together with the City of Makarska, the host of this prestigious tournament that has further positioned Makarska as a desirable destination. We believe that this year’s tournament will provide an incredible sporting experience and further strengthen the offer, both for Makarska’s guests and for the local community,” stated Davor Brenko, Valamar’s Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing.
Mayor of Makarska Zoran Paunović also emphasised that the WTA tournament is proof that Makarska knows what to do, can do it, and is firmly moving forward.
“By bringing the WTA tournament to Makarska, we’ve shown that our city has the capacity to host some of the best world events. Today, as we proudly welcome another edition of the WTA Makarska Open, it’s clear that it was the right move – for sport, for tourism, and for our community. This sporting event is a symbol of the direction Makarska is heading: ambitious, organised, and with faith in its own potential. This is a victory for vision, work, and partnership – and the best invitation possible to come and visit Makarska,” said Paunović.
The WTA tournament is also continuously supported by Split-Dalmatia County, and County Prefect Blaženko Boban is a welcome guest at the Tennis Centre in Makarska.
“Split-Dalmatia County proudly supports sports events such as the WTA tournament in Makarska, which significantly contributes to the promotion of sports and the tourist recognition of our entire region. In addition, events such as these further encourage sportsmanship and the adoption of a healthy lifestyle, continuing the tradition of our county, which is a hotbed of athletes. We’re going to continue to invest in sports infrastructure and programmes to further encourage our residents to lead a healthy lifestyle and taking up sport. We’ll also continue to support projects that contribute to the international affirmation of Dalmatia,” concluded Blaženko Boban, County Prefect of Split-Dalmatia County.
