Patrick Ciorcilă Kicks Off Sports Talks
As co-founder of Sports Festival, Patrick Ciorcilă launched this year’s Sports Talks interviews. He shared insights into his early days in professional tennis, his decision to retire, and his journey into sports event management. He also spoke about what has driven him forward and given him the strength to keep going—motivation, which is also the main theme of this year’s Sports Talks.
Bringing Tennis Legends to Romania
Patrick Ciorcilă: “I grew up watching Agassi’s matches. I caught the last years of his career live on TV. In a way, this was a personal motivation for me, but my colleagues also inspired me to bring these names. To be honest, I never thought we could actually make it happen, but we fought hard until the very last point. One of our biggest motivators was that Agassi and Graf had never been to Romania before, and they were just as eager as we were to experience a new country and see what Romania is all about. They have many connections here, and I truly believe they will leave a lasting impact. It will be an incredible show and a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see such legends up close.”
From Pro Athlete to Founder of Unique Sports Eventsent
Patrick Ciorcilă: „The life of an athlete is extremely dynamic—every day is different, you spend 10 months a year on planes. The discipline and the ability to manage failure in tennis shaped me a lot during my teenage years, and it still helps me now in high-pressure situations.
After retiring, I had no idea what to do next. It was tough mentally—I felt like I didn’t know how to do anything other than play tennis. I’d wake up in the morning without that adrenaline rush, without a clear goal.
Then, I had the opportunity to organize this festival, and that’s why I believe Sports Festival completely changed my life. So many new opportunities came with it, and I had the chance to build a brand and a unique project alongside an incredible team. We work on many different brands, but this one will always have a special place in my heart.”
Passion: The Driving Force Behind Sports Festival
Patrick Ciorcilă: „My motivation comes from the fact that I am deeply passionate about what I do. Every day, we see tens of thousands of people coming together over these four days, and we truly feel like we are creating something meaningful. Of course, it’s great when people congratulate you, but the real happiness comes from seeing the impact of our passion.
I believe Sports Festival is a landmark event for Romania. We know that you can’t change the world in four days, but we want to send a message. The key word for this event and for our entire team is passion.
We’re already working on Transylvania Open 2025, talking to partners, attending other tournaments to bring the best ideas back home. Summer is for mass sports events, and winter is for elite sports.
Here at Sports Festival, everyone plays sports and smiles. That’s our main goal. We want to keep making sports fun—it’s not just about performance.”
