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For fans of the little yellow ball, this is the event of the year on Saint-Barthélemy. From today, Thursday July 31, to Friday August 15, the Saint-Barth Tennis Club is organizing its Open tournament on the Plaine des Jeux courts in Saint-Jean. This is the 18th edition of the event. To mark this anniversary, which coincides with that of the Collectivité territoriale (whose status was changed from that of a commune of Guadeloupe to that of an overseas collectivity in 2007), the club has taken care to offer spectators a top-quality line-up.
Paul Colin for a double
The men's draw featured 56 entries. With rankings ranging from fourth to first series, the level will progressively advance from amateur to semi-professional. Headlining the field are five players invited by the SBTC. First up, local boy Paul Colin. The title holder and author of a veritable demonstration during the 2024 final, he's on the cusp of professionalism and has the highest ranking of all participants (-15). The 21-year-old is a student at the University of Orlando (Florida), for whom he plays (ranked 14th in the US top division). "I'm very happy to be taking part in my club's tournament and to be playing at home," he says. A number of players will be lining up to take the cup from him, which will be no mean feat.
Like Paul Colin, Antoine Loncle plays in the first series and has a negative ranking (-2/6), which in tennis is a guarantee of excellence. Aged 26, he is a member of the Yvelines league. Frédérick Fibleuil (ranked 2/6) is a regular at the tournament, playing for the Tennis Club du Robert in Martinique. A coach for the past five years, he has been Martinique champion on several occasions, as well as Poitou-Charentes champion in his teens. Now 25, his ambition is "to have a very good tournament" in Saint-Barthélemy. As, no doubt, does a child of Saint-Barth who next season will be playing in the first division of the US college system for Sacramento State University: Adryan Ballestero. Ranked 2/6, he is determined to continue his ascent towards the professional circuit.
The last male guest is Nil Moinet. At 24, he is ranked 4/6. Born in 2000, he arrives from Guadeloupe to take part in the Saint-Barth Open. Two other players can also be mentioned: Arthur Mulero, ranked 5/6, born in 1989 and originally from the island, and Alexis Gramblat (4/6), who is none other than the vice-president in charge of national technical management.sident in charge of the French Tennis Federation's national high-level technical department and Grand Slam committee.
Meanwhile, the men's over-45 draw will feature ten entries.
Youth and talent for the ladies
The level of play on the ladies' side promises to be just as high. In the absence of title-holder Mathilde Lollia, Sophia Biolay (-15) will be the favorite. A 24-year-old professional player, she is a student at the University of Orlando (Florida). Another contender is Julie Bousseau (22, -2/6), originally from Pau but who has been playing for the University of West Virginia (USA) for the past year. Two other SBTC guests will be vying for victory: Daria Malaescu (19, ranked 0 but was -4/6), who also plays in the US college championship for Long Beach State University, and Nehanda Thomias (ranked 0). Also aged 19, she is a two-time Guadeloupe champion and won the Open de Saint-Barth in 2022. She attended the academy of Sergi Bruguera (twice winner of the French Open in 1993 and 1994) in Barcelona, and now trains in Paris. Winning at "-15" doesn't scare her, which makes her one of the favorites. But other players will have their say.
Starting with Magali Girard (42, Tennis Club de Chatou), ranked 1/6 but a former "-15", who last March won the mixed doubles title in the 40-45 age group alongside the President of the Pakistani Tennis Federation, Aisac Qureshi. With the French team, of which she is captain, she came fourth. On the SBTC courts, Nathalie Schaffer (41, 3/6) will also be hoping to spring a surprise, as will Anne-Laure Calif, born in 1993 and ranked 5/6. The women's draw features seventeen entries.
Doubles in the spotlight
If the Saint-Barthélemy Open has one particularity, it's that it keeps alive two disciplines that are as spectacular as they are entertaining: men's doubles and mixed doubles. In the former, no fewer than thirty teams will be vying for the trophy. In mixed doubles, the success is just as remarkable, with twenty "couples" battling it out for victory.
Another special feature of the Open is that guests are required to play not only singles, but also doubles (for men) and mixed doubles (for women). They are also expected to host "kid's days" on August 11 and 13 with young SBTC members.
International referees
To ensure the smooth running of the event, the SBTC team will be on pins and needles for two weeks around their project manager, Yves Lacoste. With the hope that the weather will not disrupt the organization of the matches, which promises to be a "tightrope walk" due to the number of players involved. To assist them, two international referees from the French Federation will officiate on, around and above the courts of the Plaine des Jeux: Jean-Dominique Louis-Amédée and Ikram Bellouquid. Mood swings or, worse still, racket throwing are therefore not recommended!
