For one historic week each year, Aruba, a small Nation Island in the southern Caribbean Sea, becomes home to one of the biggest Beach Tennis spectacles in the World.

This year, the ITF Sand Series took place between the 14^th and 17^th November. A total of 1540 players registered to compete across all amateur tournaments as well as the Sand Series event, and over three and half thousand beach tennis fanatics watched the grand finale take place on center court on Sunday evening. It is safe to say that the 2024 ITF Aruba Open shook the Beach Tennis World.

Aside from the live music, on court parties, and unbeatable vibes, the Aruba Sand Series is the final tournament on the 2024 calendar that counts towards the qualifying criteria for the inaugural edition of the Beach Tennis Tour Finals that will be held in Brasilia between the 3^rd to 7^th December. Therefore, an added dimension of pressure was added to the professional category this year as the top seeds went head-to-head competing not only for their share of the record-breaking prize money on offer, but moreover vying for the 700 points up for grabs.

In the men’s draw only 40 points separated the Men’s Number 2 pair Mattia Spoto and Nicolas Gianotti, from the Men’s Number 1 Pair Andre Baran and Michele Cappelletti. Therefore, this tournament had the potential to alter the course of the Men’s Rankings before heading into the much-anticipated Beach Tennis Tour Finals. However, Mattia and Nico faced an early exit from the tournament, knocked out in the 2^nd round by the unseeded Brazilian Duo Macedo and Santos in a tantalizing match tie break (6-3, 5-7, 11-9). And for Macedo and Santos – it didn’t stop there. They had a stellar run, knocking out 7 seeds Andreolini and Burmakin on their way to their first final of a Sand Series event.

On the other side of the draw, Baran and Cappelletti were fighting hard for their spot in the final. They breezed through to the semi’s without dropping a single set, until they came face-to-face to one of the newer partnerships on the tour - Felipe Cogo Loch, and Antonio Miguel Ramos Viera. At one set all, and 8-8 in the tiebreak, this match couldn’t have been closer. However, despite having two match points, Ramos and Loch lost to the Number 1’s 3-6, 6-7, 11-13. After an incredible semi-final match, Baran and Cappelletti went on to win the title 6-2, 6-2 and secure their spot at the top of the Rankings Table.

The Women’s Draw was not without its fair share of nail-biting tiebreaks. In the quarter finals, the 2024 World Champions and World Number 1 team Diaz and Miiller faced Number 4 Seeds Veronica Casadei and Ariadna Costa Graell. After loosing the first set 6-4. Graell and Casadei came back to win the second set 6-4 and take this quarter-final to a match tie break. However, despite vying point-for-point, Diaz and Miiller advanced through to the semi’s only to be knocked out by the Italian Duo Gasparri and Valentini 6-4, 6-1.

On the bottom half of the draw, Number 3 Seeds Daina and Nobile were knocked out by number 7 seeds Palos and Lotte 6-1. 6-3. 11-9. Chow – who has been out of tournaments for 2 months due to a knee injury, made a stellar come back to the professional tour with her partner Marchezini just in time for the Tour Finals. They had a fantastic run to the finals, not dropping a single set, and winning the Aruba Title 6-2, 6-2. If this performance is anything to go by, this team is definitely one to watch in the in Brasilia in December.