BRUSSELS/WASHINGTON, October 13, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)
The BNP Paribas Fortis European Open has long been known as a launching pad for up-and-coming Belgian talent, on and off the court. After a nine-year run in Antwerp, the ATP 250 indoor hard-court event continues the tradition in its first year in Brussels.
Fans attending the tournament in person, which begins its weeklong main-draw play at the Brussels Expo Monday, will notice the uniquely-designed player benches that are displayed on the tournament’s main Centre Court and Court 1.
They are the creation of 26-year-old Brussels-based eco-designer Mathilde Wittock, who has given discarded tennis balls a second life. She has transformed them into colorful player benches, where players sit down during changeovers and stow their equipment and kit bags. The result of Wittock’s vision and creation is a smart blend of design and sustainability that adds a surprising new dimension to Belgium’s biggest professional tennis event.
“The move to Brussels for our tenth edition deserved a signature touch,” said Dick Norman, the tournament director of the BNP Paribas Fortis European Open. “With Mathilde Wittock’s creations, we’ve found exactly that. Her benches, crafted from recycled tennis balls are both innovative and symbolic of what this tournament stands for. They put sustainability in the spotlight while giving waste material a new purpose: comfortable, designed-led furniture.”
While Wittock has established a reputation for bold, sustainable design by working primarily with recycled materials, she has created furniture that is as functional as it is eye catching. Her past work has attracted international attention, by blending aesthetics with purpose, and by demonstrating how art and sport can enrich each other. More than just seating for the players competing this week in the tournament, Wittock’s benches tell a story that is a clear expression of vision for sustainability.
“As both a designer and a tennis player, I was struck by the fact that around 400 million tennis balls are discarded worldwide very year, with barely one percent being recycled,” Wittock said. “With this project, I wanted to give those balls a second life.
“Each bench is made from about 1,300 repurposed balls, collected from clubs across Belgium, combined with FSC-certified wood and carefully crafted with local artisans. The special finish, treated wood and a blue-green gradient inspired by the BNP Paribas Fortis European Open, makes these benches more than just functional furniture. They are design pieces that bring sustainability to life while reflecting the spirt of the tournament.”
Sunday’s European Open results
Monday’s European Open order of play
Around the Brussels Expo
• The second round of singles qualifying and the beginning of the first round of the main draw in both singles and doubles highlights Monday’s competition at the Brussels Expo.
Following the completion of two qualifying singles matches on Centre Court, 50th-ranked Marcos Giron of the United States and No. 69 Mattia Bellucci of Italy commence main draw action not before 3:30 p.m., followed by No. 64 Reilly Opelka of the United States against 48th-ranked Benjamin Bonzi of France.
Centre Court play rounds out with a first-round doubles match between Giron and Zizou Bergs of Belgium against Czechia’s Petr Nouza and Patrik Rikl.
On Court 1, there are two qualifying singles matches followed by three first-round doubles matches. Among those in action are the Belgian doubles pair of David Goffin and Raphael Collignon.
• On Sunday, three Belgians – 502nd-ranked wild card Tibo Colson, No. 5 seed Alexander Blockx, ranked 128th, and 252nd-ranked alternate Gilles Arnaud Bailly – advanced to the second round of qualifying.
Other winners included: No. 1 seed Valentin Royer of France, ranked 76th; No. 2 seed Nikolaz Basilashvili of Georgia, ranked 100th; No. 3 seed Eliot Spizzirri of the United States, ranked 105th; No. 7 seed Pierre-Hughes Herbert of France, ranked 142nd; and No. 8 seed Yannick Hanfmann of Germany, ranked 150th.
Basilashvili is the first to win at the 2025 BNP Paribas Fortis European Open
He defeats the Belgian Alessio Basile 6-4 6-4 #BNPPFEuropeanOpen #Basilashvili #Tennis #ATPTour pic.twitter.com/drE5BHz9C4
— BNP Paribas Fortis European Open (@BNPPFEUOpen) October 12, 2025