Iași Open Launches the “Iași Open Press Fellowship”

A Program Dedicated to Local and National Sports Journalists

Iași Open launches the “Iași Open Press Fellowship”, a program dedicated to sports journalists from Iași and, subsequently, from across Romania, initiated by Andrei Oriță, holder of the licenses for the Concord Iași Open ATP Challenger 100 and the UniCredit Iași Open WTA 250.

Through the program, selected journalists will have the opportunity to attend international tennis tournaments, with the aim of developing their professional experience and offering audiences a broader perspective on top-level tennis, directly from the heart of the action.

For each edition of the program, the Iași Open team will select one journalist who will benefit from a support package that may include:

• transportation;


• accommodation for the designated travel period;


• a €50/day allowance for meal expenses;


• support in obtaining media accreditation and access to the tournaments.

The exact benefits, travel period and specific participation conditions will be communicated to the selected journalist before their participation is confirmed.

The first selection of the Iași Open Press Fellowship will offer one journalist the opportunity to attend, as part of the same trip, the Guangzhou Open (26 October – 1 November) and the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open (2–8 November).

The trip will have a duration of at least 6 days, in addition to the days required for international travel, while the transfer between Guangzhou and Hong Kong is planned to be made by train.

Through this initiative, Iași Open aims to provide sports media professionals with direct access to international competitions organised to the highest standards. The experience gained at these events can offer valuable insight into professional tennis, the organisation of international tournaments and best practices within the sports industry.

The program also aims to contribute to the development of a specialised media ecosystem that is increasingly connected to international tennis.

Participants will be able to use the experience gained through the program to create editorial content for the media platforms they represent or collaborate with – websites, publications, specialised magazines, online shows or other editorial channels.

Participants will benefit from full editorial independence. The support provided through the Iași Open Press Fellowship is not conditional upon the publication of favourable coverage of Iași Open, the program organisers, the tournaments attended or any other entities involved.

“We believe that local sports media plays an essential role in promoting tennis and bringing the public closer to the sport. Through the Iași Open Press Fellowship, we want to give journalists the opportunity to experience first-hand how some of the world’s leading tennis competitions operate and to turn that experience into relevant information and perspectives for audiences in Romania.”

— Andrei Oriță, holder of the licenses for the Concord Iași Open ATP Challenger 100 and the UniCredit Iași Open WTA 250

The Iași Open Press Fellowship is now in its first edition, which will also serve as a starting point for the program’s development in future editions. We aim to learn from this first experience, listen to feedback from participants and the media community, and continue improving the program from one edition to the next.

Applications

The first application stage, dedicated to sports journalists from Iași, is open until 22 September 2026, at 23:59.

If fewer than 5 eligible applications are received, applications will be extended nationwide until 25 September 2026, at 23:59.

To apply, candidates are invited to send their application to pressfellowship@iasiopen.com, including the following information:

• full name;


• city of residence;


• the publication/media platform they represent or collaborate with;


• professional role (reporter, journalist, commentator, editor, etc.);


• links to 2–3 representative pieces of published journalistic work;


• a brief statement explaining their motivation for participating in the program and what they hope to gain from the experience;


• email address;


• phone number.

We understand that the application period for this first selection is relatively short. However, this timeframe is necessary to allow sufficient time to organise the trip and complete all logistical arrangements related to participation in the two tournaments.

The Official Regulations of the Iași Open Press Fellowship are available in a separate article published on the Iași Open website and can be consulted HERE.

By submitting an application, candidates confirm that they have read and accepted the provisions of the Official Regulations.

Eligible candidates will be included in the selection procedure described in the Official Regulations, and the selected participant will be contacted directly by the Iași Open team.

The participant will be selected through a random draw using the Random.org List Randomizer, from among all applications declared eligible, in accordance with the procedure set out in the Official Regulations.