Global Talent "Discovered" at IMG Academy During 2018 Discovery Open Master

The 2018 Discovery Open Master provided the same level of talent in a global atmosphere on IMG Academy's campus as in year's past, but the new, updated format for the tournament and event week saw incredible benefits that produced a new take on this prestigious event. From June 3rd through June 8th, 50 talented, youth tennis players from over 6 countries trained, competed, and learned together. Tennis training for three hours in the morning, physical conditioning, and match play in the afternoon were followed by workshops discussing topics such as college placement, panel discussions, and more. By combining a round robin UTR (Universal Tennis Rating) tournament with high level training and evaluation, the atmosphere created on campus was unlike any other event around the globe.

“The Discovery Open is designed for the purpose of creating a platform for international tennis players to not only showcase their talent and ability on a global scale, but to also gain valuable insight from some of the world’s best coaches and industry professionals,” said Rick Angelicola, Head of Global Ambassadors at IMG Academy. “Every athlete wants his or her chance to be discovered, but what does that really mean? We love to dig deeper not only into what it takes to be discovered, but also into the process of discovering one’s self throughout the journey. That’s where the transformation happens in these players’ lives.”

The tournament draw was selected through a global circuit of 21+ qualifiers world-wide throughout the course of the past year in Mexico, China, Italy, Croatia, Australia, and Egypt, and a select group of players who were given wild card entries from IMG Academy staff. This year's tournament structure included U12, U14, and U16 boys and girls and produced winners from many countries, including Japan, Italy, Egypt and the USA.

2018 Discovery Open Master Results:

G12:

• Winner Florencia Caro – Italy
• Runner-Up: Carola Gianserra – Italy 

G14:

• Winner Maria Khaled Ibrahim Metwally - Egypt
• Runner-Up: Kurumi Tamura - Japan

G16:

• Winner: Aya Fathy Elsayed Adbelhamid Saleh - Egypt
• Runner-Up: Kokoro Ishikawa - Japan

B12:

• Winner: Taichi Wakamatsu - Japan
• Runner-Up Kazuma Inui - Japan

B14:

• Winner: Kareem Mohamed Ibraim Refaee - Egypt
• Runner-Up: Yusi Nakamoto - Japan

B16:

• Winner: Haruki Mita - Japan
• Runner-Up: Ryota Kaneda - Japan

“This year was an amazing success,” said Juan Herrera, Head of the IMG Academy Male Tennis Program. "At IMG Academy, we believe in the process of developing talent, helping athletes push their potential, and to reach their dreams, and The Discovery Open offered players a chance to be 'discovered' and experience a World Cup-like atmosphere in a global setting. The excitement of qualifying into the main event and the experience to compete and be among the best made this event a successful one that we will continue to expand to even more countries."

IMG Academy offers year round weekly and multi week camps across nine sports as well as a fully accredited boarding school for 5-12th grade. As the industry leader for academic and athletic success, IMG Academy provides a renowned, global atmosphere that culminates the development and progress of every athlete that enters campus. Located in Bradenton, FL. just minutes from some of the nation's top beaches, IMG Academy's location and overall atmosphere truly provides an unforgettable experience.

The IMG Academy tennis program has produced the likes of over 10 #1 WTA and ATP players, as well as top junior athletes. Currently, Whitney Osuigwe holds the #1 junior ITF ranking, seven boys sit inside the ITF top 20 boys rankings, and several other girls hold high ITF and WTA rankings inside the top 50 and top 400, respectively. There have been three #1 ITF junior boys from IMG Academy in the past two years as well as a total of 14 titles and eight finalists between G4 and G5 ITF events recently.

“This tournament represents exactly what we believe in here in our tennis program at IMG Academy," said Margie Zesinger, Head of the IMG Academy Female Tennis Program. "We believe in the importance of developing our student athletes through peer competition from all over the world.”

The 2018/2019 Qualifying Circuit is set to start this fall, and announcements will be made on tournament locations and dates. In addition, wild card entry application is open to the general public throughout the coming year.  

LEARN MORE ABOUT IMG ACADEMY TENNIS AND THE DISCOVERY OPEN.