Orlin Stanoytchev will be the tournament director of the eighth edition of the ATP 250 tournament Sofia Open 2023, which will be held at Arena Sofia and Sofia Hall on November 4-11.
Stanoytchev is a former tennis player and the first Bulgarian to reach top 100 of the world rankings. After the end of his competitive career, he was the captain of the Bulgarian Davis Cup team (2003-2005). As a player, he won five singles titles and five doubles titles. Stanoytchev has played in all Grand Slam tournaments and is the first Bulgarian to ever win a match in a Grand Slam tournament - at Roland Garros in 2000. In 2010-11 he was the sports director of the Bulgarian Tennis Federation.
Veselina Doneva will be chief umpire at Sofia Open.
Mr. Stanoychev, how did you agree to become the director of Sofia Open?
I accepted with great pleasure, tennis is my life. This sport has always been something I have loved and continue to love. This is a great opportunity to host such a big tournament in Bulgaria and I want to help make this prestigious competition a success with the experience I have gained over so many years.
The negotiations which took place so the tournament can be hosted by Bulgaria were quite tough. Would you say something about that?
It was a tough negotiation. As a matter of fact, the ATP was the first to call Bulgaria, given that among the candidates there were countries that we can hardly compare with, like Spain for example. This means that the ATP is really happy with how the organization of the previous tournaments has gone, which personally makes me very happy. Indeed, this is a big challenge for us, because such tournaments are prepared from much earlier. In that sense, we have to make a big effort to prepare everything and make the tournament go as well as possible.
Are you worried about the short time for organization?
Indeed, the time is record short. I say jokingly that if there are medals or cups given for preparing a tournament in the shortest time, we will win them. You know that Arena Sofia is used for the [local] elections, things are not easy. But I have always been positive and I think positive. That is why I'm convinced that we will manage. We will achieve results through positive thinking. That has always been my motto. The most important thing is that we will provide a celebration for Bulgarian tennis. When I saw the kind of players we will have in the tournament, it is unbelievable.
What would you say to tennis fans?
I will tell the fans that there will be great tennis players at the tournament. This is the last ATP tournament of the year before the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, and some of the players have a chance of qualifying there. So, for tennis fans it will be an amazing experience. Also, as tournament director, I will try to offer the lowest possible ticket prices so that more people can come and watch these wonderful tennis players live.
What is the advantage of this tournament for the Bulgarian players?
It will be a great chance for them. They did not expect to have this opportunity at the end of the year. Our best tennis players will have the opportunity to win points. This is also an opportunity for the younger ones to meet big, famous players, to play against them on the court. I am sure they are very happy to have this opportunity.
/DD/
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