They in dark clothes (almost all with perfectly knotted ties and well-polished moccasins and, curiously, also some, quite a few, with sneakers). All of them, in style. And all excited. The exclusive guests at the gala dinner of the 70th anniversary of the Comte de Godó Trophy can be sure of having experienced a historic moment. A unique moment in the history of the tournament, in the history of tennis, in the history of RCT Barcelona and in the history of the city.
"We are celebrating the first 70 years of the tournament that was founded by my father Carlos Godó and that, since that distant 1953, has become a reference in world tennis and the splendid reality that it is today as well as the magnificent future that awaits him", recalled Javier Godó, Comte de Godó and editor of La Vanguardia, at the reception in the ephemeral space that is the Hospitality, dressed, like everyone else, for the great occasion, with that glass with which Every tennis player has dreamed of being brighter than ever.
Almost no tennis on the court anymore (only the last bars of a doubles were mixed with the clicking of heels) and taking on the role of stars under the spotlight (they are: the bar to be in the entourage of this unique event , it couldn't be higher) the few and well-chosen guests (300 influential personalities from the most diverse fields among which, to be doubly excited, 18 finalists and champions of the tournament from different generations stood out) know what Javier Godó was talking about. "The key to success is the effort, commitment and cooperation of all for seven decades", he explained recalling that year in which his father, saving the RCTB in a more than difficult moment, not only decided how to the president of the entity to move its headquarters to Pedralbes ("it was a wasteland, a place that seemed unthinkable, don Carlos was a visionary!", confirmed Arilla in a low voice, with Orantes as a witness at the same time as the editor of La Vanguardia developed his speech), but also promoted this tournament through which all the greats have passed (and will pass). "We are committed to maintaining and promoting the idea that that group of tennis fans had 70 years ago", added the editor of La Vanguardia, who recalled that in this drive to make Barcelona a city of global interest also his father, Carlos Godó, invented "the Godó Sailing Trophy, of which we are also celebrating this year, it is the 50th anniversary". For this reason, among the guests on this enormously special day was his great friend Grant Dalton and one of the main people responsible for the America's Cup finally landing in Barcelona. Microphone in hand, the sailor recalled that "as far as I know there is no other competition in the world with this familiar imprint that has completed seventy years! And what I am sure of is that of sailing trophies in the hands of a family and also with 50 years, there is only one, the Godó Trophy. This is amazing".
This is also the point that Jordi Cambra wanted to emphasize, the president who has the honor of celebrating this 70th anniversary of the tournament, who believes that "this success is the result of an unprecedented association of a club and a family that have known to be faithful to that determined and brilliant idea and to the ability to always keep that initial spirit alive". Cambra, who next year will preside over the club's 125th anniversary, knows that all of Barcelona appreciates "that emotion is what makes the club and this 500 unique".
The current director of the tournament, David Ferrer, also spoke about this, who summed it up very well: "Thanks to the Godó family and the RCTB, many tennis players have made their dream come true and many, all of those we love tennis, we have lived this tournament with passion since we were children". Pure emotion. Many personalities (it has already been said, all of Barcelona) and both to remember and to say that the day, sprinkled with musical surprises (opera, of course, and signed by the Liceu) and gastronomic (the commemorative cake was signed by another champion, that of the pastry world that is Lluc Crusellas), was cut short.
