It was in May 1974, right in the middle of revolutionary times in the aftermath of the 25th of April Coup, that I set the first stone of the Lagos Sports Group through the founding of the Escola de Ténis João Lagos – a tennis academy that bore a pompous name for what it was all about: himself, a racquet and a basket of balls.

But that modest beginning was the starting point in search of a few dreams I had – then circumscribed to the tennis scene and influenced by my career as an athlete. My intentions back then were based on three vectors: develop an Academy to form and support tennis players in the pursuit of a professional career; include Portugal amongst the countries staging professional tennis events in the pro tour; and build an infrastructure where he could stage a prestigious event and provide the necessary facilities for the Academy. Gradually, those goals I set for himself grew beyond the mere tennis sphere onto general sports; the pioneering mission he embraced was adapted to other projects and sports, having always in mind the national interest and the utmost promotion of Portugal abroad.

More than three decades later, a wide range of high profile Premium Sports Events, successfully organized to the highest standards, enhanced the reputation of Lagos Sports as one of the leading sports organizations in the World.

João Lagos