The winner of Moselle Open 2024 is a player from the qualifiers. Benjamin BONZI (28 years old, 126th in the ranking) beat the British Cameron NORRIE (57th, 8th in 2022) in two sets (7/6 [6]6/4) during the final of the tournament tennis ATP 250 which took place at the Arènes de Metz. It is therefore a Frenchman who wins for the 2nd year in a row, the trophy was won by Ugo HUMBERT in 2023.
By winning Moselle Open 2024, Benjamin BONZI confirms a return, in great form, to the top 100 of the ATP world ranking which he left in January 2024. He himself was the first surprised given a difficult season.
Indeed, after a wrist injury which saw him pass of the 42nd (his best ranking) in 174th place (126th before the Moselle competition), the Nîmes player, professional player since 2014, went on a series of 21 consecutive victories during his last 22 matches, winning 2 challenger tournaments (Roanne and Saint-Brieuc) and being finalist of a 3rd (Brest) before winning, in Metz, his first tournament on the main ATP circuit during which he eliminated a top 10 (Casper RUUD). Thanks to this significant victory, Benjamin BONZI is now in 77th place.
Moselle Open resists
Of numerous defections of leading players had followed one another at the start of the week. These will not have succeeded in spoiling the party, nor the year of work of the organizers ofa tournament in turmoil due to a harmful disagreement between shareholders, after the purchase of the event by Jo Wilfried TSONGA and Thierry ASCIONE.
Although the public was a little disappointed to see certain headliners abandon the tournament for reasons that were more or less easy to understand, the end of the Moselle Open still took place in a packed arena. Because
“the absence of certain players does not change one thing, which is that whatever happens there will always be matches every day with players among the best in the world, from qualifying to the final”
as Yves HENRI, the president, and Julien BOUTTER, the tournament director, will regularly remind us.
Messin Ugo HUMBERTexhausted after his journey and his final at Bercy the previous week, also made his contribution by delaying his departure to rest after a long season, and by taking the time to visit the public and the partners of the tournament, but also to offer a long signing session to fans who were only too happy to approach the now 14th player in the world in the ranking.
Side ambiancethe scenario of this 21st edition will have been appreciated of the public. During the singles final, the latter notably experienced some strong emotions when Benjamin BONZI saved no less than 13 consecutive break points before winning the set under the nose of the helpless Brit. The presentation of prizes and trophies also allowed the public to applaud the players in the tournament, with the exception of a political figure, who was warmly welcomed upon his arrival on the field.
The end of linesmen
It was the unpleasant surprise of the end of the tournament. Just before presenting the prizes, the master of ceremonies informed the audience that it would be the last time he would see linesmen at Moselle Open from 2025. In fact, the ATP decided in 2023 to no longer rely solely on technologies (very effective, it is true), for electronic detection of faults, to report them.
News that was not appreciated by the public, who booed and whistled this decision which will remove a certain charm and which will dehumanize the surface of the pitches during future official competitions. The linesmen in this final received a much bigger round of applause than usual; their very particular way of pointing out mistakes will now be missing from the show.
The 22nd edition of Moselle Open will take place in November 2025.
