Women back on court as Marbella hosts 18th National wheelchair tennis open

Marbella is ready and set to welcome 23 tennis players from across Spain this week as the city hosts the 18th edition of the National Wheelchair Tennis Open. The competition runs from Thursday 23 April through to Sunday 26 April at the Polideportivo Paco Cantos.

The tournament is organised by Club Deportivo Jacamar and forms part of the national wheelchair tennis circuit run by the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation (RFET). Now in its 18th consecutive year, it is one of the longest-running events of its kind in the country.

All competitors get maximum court time over the few days

The big news of this year’s edition is the return of the women’s draw. The Marbella city council announced that five women will compete in a round-robin format, meaning every player faces every other player, with matches beginning on the opening day, Thursday. The format ensures that all five competitors get maximum court time and that the final standings reflect consistency across the full draw rather than a single day’s result. The sport maintains the same rules as conventional tennis, with the only difference being that it allows a second bounce.  

The women’s competition was absent from last year’s tournament due to the complexity of assembling a competitive female field. Its return this year was confirmed in official communications from the Marbella Town Hall.  

Paco Cantos is the perfect home for the tournament with its range of accessible facilities

For the men’s draw, the remaining players will compete across all four days, with finals in both competitions scheduled for Sunday 26 April.

The Polideportivo Paco Cantos has served as the home of this tournament for multiple editions and provides the accessible facilities required to host a national-level wheelchair tennis event.  Located on Avenida Canovas del Castillo in Marbella. Its indoor hall can house a range of sports including tennis, futsal, basketball, volleyball and skating, and the site also features three outdoor tennis courts, three padel courts, a fronton court, a climbing wall, changing rooms, and a bar. The breadth of the facility makes it well suited to hosting a multi-day national tournament, with courts available for simultaneous matches and adequate space for players, officials and spectators. Entry for spectators wishing to follow the action at Paco Cantos across the four days is open to the public.  In addition, the matches on the center court will be broadcast live on Facebook.