International tennis tournament draws nearly 1,000 players to Türkiye's Mount Erciyes

Nearly 1,000 tennis players from 52 countries are competing in an international tournament at Mount Erciyes, one of Türkiye's leading high-altitude sports training destinations, local officials said Thursday.

Held from May 18 to July 5, the tournament is organized under the auspices of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) by the Turkish Tennis Federation and Megasaray Tennis Academy (MTA), with Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality and Erciyes Inc. serving as hosts.

Players from countries including Germany, France, the UK, Poland, the US, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Italy, China, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Slovakia, Slovenia and Russia are competing alongside athletes from Türkiye.

Rising to 3,917 meters (12,851 feet) in central Türkiye, Mount Erciyes is the highest mountain in Central Anatolia and one of its best-known ski destinations. In recent years, local authorities have invested in transforming the area into a year-round sports hub, with its high-altitude training facilities attracting professional athletes and teams from Türkiye and abroad.

Speaking to Anadolu during a visit to the tournament, Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Memduh Buyukkilic said Erciyes has evolved from a winter tourism destination into a year-round venue for international sporting events.

He said the Erciyes High Altitude Training Center includes eight football pitches, a multipurpose indoor sports hall, an Olympic-size swimming pool and an athletics track, allowing athletes from a range of disciplines to train at altitude.

Buyukkilic said about 35 football teams trained at the center last year, adding that applications for this season have already reached a similar level and are expected to rise further.