Cascais, at sports’ vanguard :: Millennium Estoril Open

The main ATP tennis tournament organised over more than twenty-six years, in Portugal, and part of the ATP World Tour, took place at its ancient origin, in the Estoril Tennis Club. Between the 25th April and 3rd May, many famous names from world tennis participated in the Millennium Estoril Open, where Richard Gasquet became champion facing Nick Kyrgios, in an exciting grand finale, much appreciated by the audience.

What you probably don’t know is that Cascais, namely Estoril, was the birthplace of this genre in Portugal. For over a century the Estoril-Cascais coast has been distinguished as an election destination.

At the end of the XIX century, Cascais was a entrance gate for several sports in Portugal. Sailing, rowing, swimming, water polo, tennis (or lawn-tennis, as they used to name it) and even football, were some of the sports that reached this country through the active hand of the British community who used to live, or spend their holidays here. Many of them used their leisure time to conquer practitioners and fans of these new sports.

Data show that the first tennis match among the Portuguese occurred in 1882, at the Sporting Club Cascais courts, a place that become the main broadcaster of this sport for the country.

The first national tennis champion was Guilherme Pinto Basto, also responsible for the first exhibition of football in Portugal, together with his brothers, who were raised in England.
There are many reasons why Cascais and its coast is still a place where practicing sports is common, with an increasing number of fans and continuing experimentation in sports genres.That is in fact, one of the missions of this municipality, developed with great dedication: keep the tradition and prestige of the practice of sports.

The return of the Millennium Estoril Open was another venture won inline with this municipality’s values and the new 2016 edition has already been confirmed. Besides cheering for players like Richard Gasquet and Nick Kyrgios, on the last day of the Millennium Estoril Open 2015, we heard a strong thank you to the organisation for the Portuguese stage of this event, ATP World Tour, which filled the seats of the Estoril Tennis Club.

In Cascais, practicing sports has always been associated with a healthy lifestyle, without ever losing its glamour. Either because of the beauty of the surrounding landscapes, which involve every outdoor sport, or through the special dedication placed in the smallest details on every sports events, Cascais keeps assuming itself as being able to fulfil and excel in every challenge. The Millennium Estoril Open was, without any question, another great example of this. At sports, just like at the rest, Cascais enjoys hosting and welcoming, and knows how to do it just like no other.

|Our thanks to the organisation team from Millennium Estoril Open 2015