In 2020, the ATP Tour returned to Chile for the first time in six years with the Chile Dove Men+Care Open. The credit goes to a group of dreamers who wished to see professional play on their home turf again. The Fillol family's love for the game is the reason why the ATP 250 event that wrapped up this past Sunday is not only alive, but thriving.
"Don't risk the stress to bring the tournament back," Jaime Fillol Sr. told his daughter Catalina back in 2019. "It's a lot of work, it's economically very risky, you might jeopardize the family."
All of his worries faded following the tournament's success and he felt extremely proud of his family and their bravery to get the tournament back up and running. Maybe they were in over their heads, but the Fillol family prefers to live life that way and the risk was ultimately worth the reward.
What makes this event so special is the fact that the Fillols are taking care of every detail. With Catalina as the tournament director, sister Cecilia handling finance and administration, sister Natalia on player hospitality, sister Angela assisting with community relations and her brother Jaime Jr. serving as the on-court emcee (in addition to his finance responsibilities), it's a family affair from start to finish.
The contributions don't end there, either. The Fillol spouses are also involved, in commercial strategy (Allan, Diego and Rodrigo), VIP services (Renata) and player operations (Martin). The setup even extends to Jaime's grandchildren (which includes main-draw participant Nicolás Jarry), some assisting with guest relations and credentials and others on court daily as ball kids.
Working in harmony, the Fillol put a strong emphasis on taking care of one another and it's easy to see. Their grandchildren handing off bottles of Gatorade to the security team, and making sure to address all staff by their names—it's the little things that make the tournament special. The passion, love and generosity creates a welcoming environment that treats both players and fans as a part of the family. "Contagious" is the word that comes to mind when Cecilia describes the energy at the ATP tournament. It's a feeling that was missing for quite a while.