Hi Joe! Kungens Kanna & Drottningens Pris is finally back in the tournament calender for 2022 after the pandemic. How excited are you as the tournament director?
It has been a strange couple of years to say the least; we wanted to organise something in 2021, but Covid would not allow us. There are strong signals that the world is slowly getting back to normal; with this said, it looks like we are back for 2022, yes! Myself and the entire KK and DP team are incredibly excited, we have missed this event, and we are all starving for some high-quality junior tennis.
How many years have you acted as the tournament director?
Time goes by fast! I think 2022 will be the 6th year as TD for the tournament.
What is your favourite moment from previous years?
We try to go the extra mile with this event; a nice moment in the tournament is the players’ party. We organise this mid-week, the players are happy to still be in the tournament, the doubles event is on its way, and it’s the moment the tournaments’ energy is at its best. For me, this is a special moment, and of course the rest of the week with so many high-quality matches.
What do you think about the players for next year’s tournament?
It will be an exciting year. The pandemic has changed the way some players and countries have played internationally, which means fewer 12 and 13-year-olds have been out competing in 2021.
It’s hard to name any direct favourites. Still, the Czech Republic, like always, has many talented girls, and the trio of Samsonova, Kovackova, Forejtekova will all look to keep the Czech Dominance after three years of Fruhvirtova!
We hope to see Flynn Thomas (Switzerland) and Thijs Boogaard (Netherlands) on our beautiful centre court on the boys’ side. It would also be nice to see the talented German Niels McDonald, who practices at Good to Great Tennis Academy here in Danderyd, Stockholm.
Having this event on home turf is a rare and valuable opportunity for the top Swedish juniors to compete with the best players in the world, at home.
The Royal Tennis Club of Stockholm takes great pride in helping the Swedish tennis community, through great events such as Kungens Kanna & Drottningens Pris and our ATP event Stockholm Open.