Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters fuelled by an increasingly sustainable ATP.
- M Abti
- Apr 7
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 13
The greatest event of the year dedicated to tennis stars has just begun reaffirming the Monte-Carlo Country Club as a true international hub. The Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, at its 118th edition, being held from the 5th to the 13th April 2025, is linked to an unprecedented historical legacy, dating 1897. This year's edition, inaugurated by H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco and Melanie-Antoinette de Massy, President of the international tournament and of the Monte-Carlo Country Club, involves some of the top-ten players listed in the ATP ranking, like Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Matteo Berrettini and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Since 2009, the ATP Masters, known for sixteen years as ATP Masters 1000, has been made of nine international tennis tournaments featuring the most performing players worldwide. By the will of Massimo Calvelli, CEO at ATP, Sustainability is at the heart of the most popular sporting event encouraging a net-positve approach, away from every alarmist or rhetorical message. The recent publication of the first Sustainability Report 2023, released in July 2024, reaffirms the desire to find new opportunities, to foster innovation and to find new inspiring partnerships.
The ATP Serves Sustainability Programme aims at acting through three basic levels regarding transport modes, event management and strategic partnerships. The Carbon Tracker, developed by Infosys®, is a digital tool. which allows tennis players to monitor their environmental impacts in terms of travel, total kilometres covered and CO2 emissions equivalent (note = standard value to measure climate effects of greenhouse gases). In a few words, sportspeople can check their carbon footprint. All that is meant to increase eco-awareness and make players to take action, also through the carbon credits market operated by the Gold Standard, another key partner in climate action. The App is generating a special ranking that highlights who are the most virtuous in the field enabling them to allocate funds to environmental projects.
In 2023, a targeted survey involving the entire staff of operators (e.g.: officials, umpires, physios, sponsorship professionals etc.) in order to further reduce travel-related emissions by offering less-impacting means of transport and good practice. According to the outcome, 82% of the staff agree the environmental sustainability is important or very important, while 75% believe there is a chance to reduce travel inefficiencies. From 2024 onwards, the organisers started to involve ATP Masters 1000 fans in the sustainable cause, recommending them to use fewer polluting vehicles to attend tennis tournaments.
Last but not least, the Nitto ATP Finals held in Turin from the 12th to the 19th November 2023, implemented a comprehensive Sustainability Plan in cooperation with the Federazione Italiana Tennis e Padel (FITP) addressed to layout the peak event of the entire season which decreed the victory of Novak Djokovic as the best player of the year.
From a sustainable management perspective, only PVC-free recycled materials were chosen together with environmentally friendly packaging solutions for all food and beverage. Printed documents were reduced to a minimum and a unique programme for the recovery of damaged tennis balls was activated. Visitors and the staff was invited to use complimentary fully electric public vehicles. The food stuffs were prepared mostly with seasonal products and food waste was reduced by a last minute solidarity distribution programme. Moreover, all activities were powered by clean energy from renewable sources, with the strategic use of LEDs for lighting and energy efficiency products selected through sustainable tender procedures.
The world of professional tennis has therefore mobilised to act sustainably with the aim to facilitate a social and economic positive change towards a more viable future. ***
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By Maurice Abbati
Journalist; Editor; Communication, Media and Public Relations Specialist
Lecturer and Author in English language of Technical Articles and the Manual: "Communicating the Environment to Save the Planet, a Journey into Eco-Communication" by Springer International Publishing.
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