After being cancelled twice in 2020, and postponed once in 2021, the first GLTA tournament finally took place in Croatia in late August of 2021, when the historic city of Pula and the beautiful Verudela Beach and Tennis Resort welcomed the GLTA community for the Istria PlayOut Tennis Classic 2021.
It was our second GLTA tournament in South-East Europe, the first edition being held in Belgrade in 2019. LGBTI rights in Croatia made great strides in recent years and Istria as a region has always been the most progressive part of the country, a place where players felt safe and welcome. Challenged by the COVID pandemic and travel restrictions imposed by many countries, only 56 players participated.
The registration party was held at the pool bar and restaurant Oliva, where players enjoyed welcome drinks, the seaside view and the summer sunset. The player’s dinner party was held at the restaurant Boschetto, offering a variety of local cuisine, live music and a raffle game.
After the rain pushed matches somewhat later on Friday, we successfully finished the tournament under the bright and warm Mediterranean sun.
And while the main focus was on playing tennis and celebrating the game, players also enjoyed each other’s company and hanged out off the courts as well. Since this was the first visit to Istria and Pula for many of the players, they had many opportunities to explore the city and its rich history, to taste the Croatian and Mediterranean cuisine and enjoy the beaches and the sea.
We want to thank all the players for supporting us and making this unique event happen, and congratulate all our champions, finalists and consolation winners.
Visit the Istria PlayOut Tennis Classic 2021 page on the official GLTA website for complete draws and list of winners.
For more pictures visit our galleries Istria 2021.
The Istria PlayOut Tennis Classic 2021 was organized in cooperation with the following partners: