By Abigail Klein Leichman (Israel21c)—In huge news for Israel’s sports and tennis fans, the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) announced its new tournament in the ATP 250 category: The Tel Aviv Watergen Open 2022, featuring the world’s top-20 ranked male pro players.More than 26 years after Israel last hosted a major tennis competition, the tourney will begin at Expo Tel Aviv on September 25. Singles and doubles finals are scheduled for Oct. 2, with players such as Rafael Nadal and Joe Salisbury vying for nearly $1,200,000 in prize money.The top-tier ATP 250 tournament is coming to Israel thanks to a joint effort by the Israel Tennis Association and water-from-air technology company Watergen, the competition’s official sponsor.“We are very excited that a tournament of this magnitude is coming to Israel,” said the Israel Tennis Association in a statement.“This is a perfect opportunity for all tennis lovers in Israel to watch top-class tennis players up close while enjoying a tremendous tennis experience. We thank Watergen for its commitment to the sport, and especially [Watergen President] Michael Mirilashvili, who for years has contributed to the cause of promoting tennis in Israel.”