The signature event of Porsche’s involvement in worldwide women’s tennis is the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. First held in Filderstadt in 1978, the long-standing Stuttgart tournament has been staged in the city’s Porsche Arena since 2006. Like the Porsche brand, it stands for tradition and innovation. For Laura Ceccarelli, who has accompanied the tournament for many years in her function as a WTA Supervisor, it is “not only one of the best tournaments worldwide but also one of the most innovative. It is so well organized that many people around the world can learn from it.”
As the most loyal sponsor of international women’s tennis, Porsche has accompanied the world’s oldest indoor event right from the very start. At the premiere in Filderstadt, America’s Tracy Austin, a 15-year-old teenager with plaits and braces, advanced to become the crowd favourite and embark on a brilliant career after winning the final. In 2002, Porsche intensified its involvement with the world-renowned tournament when taking over the role as organizer.
Tennis highlight
As far as tennis is concerned, the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is a top highlight on the WTA Tour. Virtually all the top stars come to Stuttgart every year. The quality of the field is regularly of a Grand Slam level. The players feel very much at home in Stuttgart and so much so that they voted the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix as their favourite event in its category in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019. And the Women’s Tennis Association’s officials also appreciate the support given them by the successful Stuttgart automobile manufacturer. In 2004 Porsche was distinguished with the “Long Time Contribution Award” in recognition of the company’s long-standing involvement as a sponsor and partner of the sport.
As a part of its global partnership with the WTA, Porsche is since several years car partner of the WTA. Over and above this the Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer supports the WTA events in Lyon (France), Bad Homburg (Germany), Bastad (Sweden), Cincinnati (USA), Portoroz (Slovenia), Tallinn (Estonia) and Cluj-Napoca (Romania) in 2022.
