Tommy Robredo Foundation

© ATPRobredo with the winners of the 2010 Santi Silvas Open

The Tommy Robredo Foundation has the objective of organising activities which allow sports training for disabled people, mainly wheelchair tennis. It also creates awareness of the importance of sport as beneficial to the mental and physical health, and at the same time as a stimulant to personal growth and wellbeing.

Tommy Robredo decided to start the foundation and in 2009 he was involved in the first edition of the Santi Silvas Open. This international wheelchair tennis tournament is a homage that Robredo wanted to make for his good friend, Santi Silvas, who died in 2008 without having been able to organise such a tournament.

The Santi Silvas Open is the main activity of the Tommy Robredo Foundation. The tournament (ITF2) includes the world’s top male and female wheelchair tennis players. In June 2009 there was the first edition of the Memorial which, with free entry, now forms an important part of international tournament’s calendars.

"In a few weeks we will be celebrating the third edition of the Open Memorial Santi Silvas, the most important international wheelchair event currently being held in Spain," said Robredo. "It is for me something I am very proud of but also a big responsibility to host such an important event in Olot. Every year our goal is to try to get better at it, for the players to feel at home and for the public to follow the best level of tennis."

“After the contacts and notes that Santi (Silvas) left three years ago, I was able to create the Tommy Robredo Foundation and make his dream come true. I think we have achieved it thank to the response we got from the players, sponsors, volunteers and the public who enthusiastically follow the matches. I am so sure that if Santi could see it, he would be very happy.  After his initial step, the Tommy Robredo Foundation works day in and day out for the handicapped people so that they can do sports. Even if the tournament is the main activity we organise with the foundation we are still working on a number of new projects to help handicapped people in sports."

Foundation website