June 6, 2022 - German Jule Niemeier won the WTA Makarska Open by Valamar tournament, while Croatian Tena Lukas and Slovenian Dalila Jakupovič won the doubles tournament!

In the final match on sunday, Jule Niemeier beat Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto 7-5, 6-1.

Niemeier won the first set, 7-5. After that, she started the match better, but then it reached 5-5. However, at the very end of the set, Niemeier hit some crucial points to win the first set 7-5.

In the second set, it was a one-way street. Niemeier was much better all around. Cocciaretto could not find any answer to Niemeier, who deservedly won the first Makarska WTA Open by Valamar tournament.

Croatian Tena Lukas and Slovenian Dalila Jakupovič won the WTA Makarska Open by Valamar doubles tournament. In front of almost a thousand spectators on the Central Court of the Valamar Tennis Center, Lukas and Jakupovič emerged as winners in a difficult match against the Serbian duo Olga Danilović and Aleksandra Krunić. The result was 5-7, 6-2 (10-5).

The first set was better for the Serbian team, then Dalila and Tena took over and dominated the final. In the tie-break match, they had the patience and composure to finish the job.

Kevin Clement

"Thanks to everyone who cheered for us. This is a special title for me, but this is my tournament. I don't know; emotions overwhelmed me. Thanks to my parents, especially my grandfather. Thanks to my brother Feliks, congratulations on this tournament," said the overjoyed Tena, who also won the ITF in Rome worth 60 thousand dollars two weeks ago.

Tomislav Družak, Special Envoy of the Prime Minister, and Makarska Mayor Zoran Paunović awarded the trophies to the tennis players.

"Thank you all for supporting the players. It was nice to see passionate fans in the stands. Thanks to everyone who supported the tournament," said tournament director Feliks Lukas.

"I congratulate Jule on the big week and wish her all the best in her career. This is one of the best tournaments I have played in. I feel at home here because I am on the other side of the Adriatic," said Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto.

"I'm sorry I stopped Elisabetta down. However, I enjoyed being here, one of the most beautiful tournaments I’ve been to. I also had a great time at the party for the players," said the winner Jule Niemeier.

It has been a fantastic first edition in Makarska, and the best is yet to come!

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated sports section. 

May 20, 2022 - The WTA Makarska Open will be held from May 30 to June 5, transforming the coastal town into WTACity! 

For the first time in Makarska, but in great style! The WTA Makarska Open tournament, in cooperation with the City of Makarska, opens WTACity with a concert by the Big Band and Zdenka Kovačiček on May 30. Makarska's main square is the most beautiful backdrop for the hot summer rhythm that awaits all tennis fans, locals, and tourists.

Funky House Night with DJ Toni Juranović is reserved for May 31, Black Coffee performs on June 1, New Gondoliers on June 2, Noa & Tour de Funk on June 3, and on June 4, after the semifinals, the central Makarska central will feature KUD Jedinstvo, followed by a concert of the popular Mjesni Odbor and a surprise guest. After Sunday’s final, WTACity closes with a performance by Ischariotzcky. Finally, the youngest will enjoy their day on June 1 from 10:30 in the main square.

It will also be hot at the Valamar Riviera Tennis Center. First, Rijad Gvozden will make the audience laugh on June 2 with the comedy Bosanac on Vacation, and on June 3, Klapa Šufit will sing. Before the semifinals on June 4, a warm-up concert by Neno Belan will be held, and before the final on June 5, Klapa Cambi will sing their hits.

Excellent workshops and panels for athletes and recreationists will also be held, as well as an attractive exhibition of portraits of the most famous Hollywood actors, a great friend of this tournament, photographer Jadran Lazić.

"From the first day, our goal is to bring attractive and recognizable events such as the WTA tournament to our city below Biokovo. I am extremely proud that we managed to bring such a prestigious tournament to Makarska and the cooperation of the City, WTA, and Valamar, which proved to be an outstanding partner to the local community. The WTA tournament in Makarska is the first and crucial step in realizing our vision of Makarska as a desirable tourist and sports destination. I am sure that the tournament will contribute to a new direction of sustainable development and help us get on the map of destinations that offer tourists new experiences and interesting content. From this year, we have WTACity - ten days of fun and music events throughout the city of sports and entertainment during WTA Week," says Zoran Paunović, Mayor of Makarska, and adds that the locals are looking forward to promoting their city, the arrival of top tennis players, and exciting matches.

Feliks Lukas, the tournament director, announced the best program so far. For the past six years, the WTA has been a great combination of sports and entertainment, so the event has been positioned as an attractive social event.

"In the 16 years that this event has been held in Croatia, the WTA tournament considers the local community, its wishes and needs, and tennis fans who come to the tournament and tourists who stay in the destination. We successfully organized a quality accompanying program last year in compliance with strict epidemiological measures. In addition to promoting a healthy lifestyle, it is essential for us to promote the destination where the tournament is held, which will be beautiful Makarska for the next three years," says Lukas.

From May 30 to June 5, Makarska will be the most beautiful introduction to summer in Dalmatia. 

To read more about sports in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

February 28, 2022 - After 15 successful years in Bol, the popular WTA tournament will move to Makarska for the first-ever Makarska Open hosted by Valamar!

After 15 successful years in Bol, the time has come for a new destination, say the organizers of the WTA tournament. Its 16th edition will be held from May 30 to June 5 in Makarska! 

The magnificent sea view, great atmosphere, and excellent organization are again the strongest assets of the famous sporting event, which features the best-ranked female tennis players from Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Slovakia, Montenegro, Italy, China, Luxembourg, Serbia, Slovenia, and Croatia - and all the winners regularly return! 

"First of all, I would like to thank Bol, its residents, and all partners on Brač for the exceptional cooperation over the past six years of leading this tournament. They were great hosts; we breathed as one and lived for this event. But the time has come for new energy and a new place. The city of Makarska, with a long sports tradition, and Valamar Riviera as a leading tourist group are the right partners for the growth and future of our event. I am convinced that this year we will bring the best of women's tennis and create a real sports spectacle in the pre-season," said Felix Lukas, director of the WTA tournament, which this year has a new name - WTA Makarska Open hosted by Valamar.

WTA leader Steve Simon says Croatia has always supported women’s tennis and the WTA tournament.

"Croatia is a country with exceptional success and history in organizing top tournaments dating back to 1991. We are looking forward to the Makarska Open continuing our WTA story on the beautiful Croatian coast," says Simon.

Global promotion of Makarska

"We are on a good path to turn Makarska into one of the better destinations in Europe. From the first day, our goal is to bring globally recognizable events such as the WTA tournament to our city below Biokovo. I am extremely proud that we managed to bring such a prestigious tournament to Makarska and the cooperation of the City, WTA, and Valamar, which proved to be an outstanding partner to the local community. The WTA tournament in Makarska is the first and significant step in realizing our vision of Makarska as a desirable tourist and sports destination. I am sure that the tournament will help us get on the map of destinations that offer tourists new experiences and interesting content," says Zoran Paunović, the mayor of Makarska.

Makarska locals are looking forward to promoting their city, the arrival of top tennis players, and exciting matches, and they hope that they will be great hosts like Bol.

Split-Dalmatia County could not hide their satisfaction that this tournament is still being organized in the region. 

"This is a significant international sports event that promotes our county, the whole of Dalmatia and Croatia. Thanks to its extremely positive atmosphere, this tournament is recognized, and I am convinced that it will be the same in Makarska, another beautiful Dalmatian destination. From the beginning, Split-Dalmatia County has supported the WTA tournament, which sends a picture of optimism to the world, and we all need that in these challenging times," said Blaženko Boban, County Prefect of Split-Dalmatia County.

Valamar is investing in the renovation of the Tennis Center.

"The development of the destinations in which we operate is part of Valamar's strategy of socially responsible business. Therefore, we are looking forward to this new partnership and that we will be the general sponsors of the WTA Makarska Open tennis tournament, which we will be proud to host for at least three years, for which we have signed a contract so far. By sponsoring this tournament, which includes an investment in the renovation of the Makarska Tennis Center, which will be the venue of the tournament, but also the reconstruction of the Dalmacija Places Hotel, which will be officially opened during the tournament, we prove how much Valamar Group believes in Makarska as a destination and its tourism development," said Alen Benković, Senior Vice President for Development, Property Maintenance and Technical Services at Valamar Riviera and President of the Management Board of Imperial Riviera.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

September 29, 2021 - Hotel Dalmacija in Makarska will undergo complete reconstruction and refurbishment following the Valamar [PLACES] brand standards.

HRTurizam reports that the Supervisory Board of Imperial Riviera d.d. approved an HRK 67 million investment in repositioning Hotel Dalmacija in Makarska as [PLACESHOTEL] by Valamar.

The investment continues the announced five-year cycle of investments in Croatian tourism worth HRK 1.5 billion, which AZ pension funds and Valamar Riviera jointly launched.

The Covid crisis has temporarily halted and slowed down the investment plan, which is why investments started in 2019 were finalized only in 2021. Still, the approval of investments in the Hotel Dalmacija represents a partial restart of the investment cycle. Namely, the tourist season showed the potential for a rapid launch of Croatian tourism and the opportunity for further growth and development of high value-added tourism, so Imperial Riviera decided to accelerate the investment cycle.

After the successful privatization of Imperial and the Makarska hotel, and the subsequent merger and increase of capital in Imperial Riviera, investments in the total amount of HRK 580 million were made in the past period, and the following hotels were repositioned: Parentino, Meteor, Padova, Imperial, and Padova.

With an investment of HRK 67 million, Hotel Dalmacija will undergo complete reconstruction and refurbishment following the standards of the Valamar [PLACES] brand.

From next season, Hotel Dalmacija in Makarska will become the second hotel to operate under the Valamar [PLACES] brand. The new concept is designed for modern travelers seeking freedom of choice, modern design, and an authentic destination experience with full respect for nature and the environment.

Imperial Riviera has in its portfolio seven hotels, three tourist resorts, and two camps in the leading Croatian destinations island of Rab, Poreč, and Makarska, which makes a total of 3,498 accommodation units and a capacity to accommodate almost 10,000 guests. Valamar Riviera d.d. has been in charge of managing the tourism business of the entire portfolio since 2016.

The new hotel concept is based on getting to know the true local Mediterranean lifestyle of the destination or a focus on authenticity. The brand is intended for guests seeking freedom of choice, modern design, and an authentic destination experience with full respect for nature and the environment. 

For more on lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.