Seventy years ago the second edition of the Conde de Godó Trophy was played, won by the American Marion Anthony Trabert. I was a teenager who loved to play tennis, and I remember that my father Carlos announced to me that we would be able to see the best match that could be witnessed at that time: Victor Seixas, the first winner of the tournament, the great North American star, and Trabert , who was an emerging figure, representing a new generation of tennis players who played with relentless strength and a powerful serve. They may have been somewhat less academic than their predecessors, but they were capable of frightening their opponents with their blows. I remember the match between both champions, which was less competitive than expected. Seixas was overwhelmed in three sets, in which he could only win four games. A star was born: that same year Trabert won at Roland Garros and the next he would win at Wimbledon and in the United States.
Seven decades later, it is not two Americans who arouse all the interest of fans, but two Spaniards, Rafael Nadal, winner twelve times and Carlos Alcaraz, who has lifted the cup in the last two years. The picture of this edition is completed by a handful of top ten of the Murcian generation, who show that the world of tennis is experiencing a particularly sweet moment in our country. This year the trophy that my father started in 1953 also celebrates the 125th anniversary of the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona. That almost familiar tournament from the beginning, where my father opened the doors of his house to the players and whose financial losses he paid out of his pocket, has little to do with the current one, with thousands of spectators in the stands and a village with great brands , which can be followed on all five continents.
In any case, from day one he had something special that made him attractive. It was a club tournament, located in a city like Barcelona, which knew how to have that warm and quality air of the events that are organized in the Catalan capital. Carlos Pérez de Rozas, La Vanguardia's photographer, made a magnificent graphic report on the event. I have in my hands an image of Trabert in a tuxedo at the gala dinner held in his honor, which is the best testimony of that know-how that has characterized the city and its civil society.
Today the tournament is a must-see event on the international tennis calendar and one that the big rackets like to attend for three fundamental reasons. One, because the courts are not on the outskirts of the city that hosts the competition, but in an elegant neighborhood, from which in a few minutes they can travel to any place they want. Two, because Barcelona is a source of attraction, due to its cultural, sports and gastronomic offer. And three, because it is a club tournament, which maintains that familiar, affordable and close air. Very few championships are held in clubs, as they have been moving to large facilities, which are more impersonal but allow for a larger number of spectators in the stands, although this often distances the tennis players from the public.
The Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell-Trofeo Conde de Godó is experienced by the city as its own and it is a credit to the organization that it has been able to create the ideal atmosphere in the streets each year so that people feel it as their own. In this sense, the RCTB foundation is doing great work to bring tennis to every corner of the metropolis, providing scholarships to children so they can develop their skills. Seventy-one years after the first trophy, tennis is a popular sport throughout the planet, with followers of all walks of life. Being able to witness a great championship in the Catalan capital is a collective pride, a satisfaction for all racket lovers.
