Rabat: Thirty of the top 100 female tennis players in the world will compete for the title of the 24th edition of the HRH Princess Lalla Meryem Tennis Grand Prix (WTA 250), which will be held from May 16 to 23 at the US Cheminots club in Rabat, under the High Patronage of HM King Mohammed VI, stated the tournament director, Khalid Outaleb.
According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, during a press conference held on Monday in Rabat to present this edition, organized by the Moroccan Railway Workers’ Sports Union under the auspices of the Royal Moroccan Tennis Federation (FRMT) and the WTA, Outaleb emphasized that world-class players will once again be present at this prestigious event. This tournament is the oldest African stage on the women’s circuit and takes place just one week before the Roland Garros Grand Slam.
These include, notably, Indonesia’s Janice Tjen (world No. 39), Germany’s Laura Siegemund (No. 47), Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (No. 50), and Ukraine’s Yulia Starodubtseva (No. 53), he noted.
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egarding the Moroccan players, Yasmine Kabbaj and Diae El Jardi will represent the national colors in singles, while Diae El Jardi will also compete in doubles, Outaleb announced.
He also highlighted the smooth progress of the preparations for this international tournament, particularly the introduction, for the first time, of the “Hawk-Eye” computer optical tracking technology used for real-time officiating.
This event, endowed with a prize money of $283,347, has previously seen the participation of big names in women’s tennis such as Maria Sakkari (No. 3 in 2022), Garbiñe Muguruza (No. 1 in 2017), Simona Halep (No. 1 in 2018), Li Na (No. 2 in 2014), and Francesca Schiavone, the 2010 Roland Garros champion.
It has also served to showcase African talents like the Tunisian champion Ons Jabeur (WTA No. 2 in 2022).
The 23rd edition of the HRH Princess Lalla Meryem Grand Prix was won by the Australian Maya Joint.
As for the doubles title, it went to the pairing of Georgian Oksana Kalashnikova and Australian
Maya Joint, who were victorious in the final against Italians Angelica Moratelli and Camilla Rosatello.