Romanian billionaire and former tennis player Ion Tiriac announced that he would sell the ATP tournament in Bucharest.

“I can’t make a fool out of my name,” he said, local Hotnews.ro reports.

Tiriac is unhappy that Bucharest doesn’t have a tennis arena suitable to host such a competition.

The central arena from the “Progresul” complex, which is controlled by Romania’s National Bank, can’t host tennis matches anymore because it doesn’t have a permit from the Emergency Situations Inspectorate – ISU. The tennis matches at the BRD Nastase Tiriac Trophy will thus take place on the two side courts, which have only a limited number of seats for spectators.

“I have done everything possible to make this tournament possible. I bought the license from a Romanian, I paid all the debts and I think we’ve managed to have a decent tournament in Bucharest,” Tiriac said.

editor@romania-insider.com