Behold the tentative entry list for the #FTLMajor…

• Facebook
• Twitter

Action under the floodlights awaits Fort Lauderdale - but who will make the cut?

It’s the first five-star tournament of the season and everybody wants to be a part of it!

The deadline for the Fort Lauderdale Major – now just 28 days away – has slammed shut with an incredible 147 teams throwing their name in the ring.

In total 74 men’s teams and 73 women’s partnerships have entered – and now begins the task to finalize the list and whittle the teams into order of who qualifies for the main draw who lines up in the qualification stage.

The main draw will have 22 direct entrants per gender, based on the teams’ entry ranking points by February 5, together with two wildcards. Thirty-two teams will compete in the qualification round with eight teams making it through to the main draw. The remaining duos will play the waiting game on the reserve list and will be called upon should any partnerships drop out.

The full line-up for our eagerly anticipated first stop of the season will then be confirmed on February 6.

This year’s tournament will have one main omission: last season’s winners Larissa/Talita will not be involved following last week’s news that Talita is expecting a baby. The Brazilians’ absence will make it a hugely interesting battle for gold with a whole host of top teams in with a chance of reaching the podium. Those include Canadians Pavan/Humana-Paredes, last year’s runners-up Agatha/Duda of Brazil and German duo Laboureur/Sude, who won bronze 12 months ago.

Eleven women’s teams from host nation USA are in with a chance of competing, including rising stars Claes/Hughes and new team on the block, Ross/Klineman, who won the World Tour’s first tournament of the season in The Hague in January.

Will Lucena/Dalhausser (right) be smiling this year, or will Alvaro/Saymon (left) top the podium again?

On the men’s side, teams from Austria (7), Brazil (6), Russia (7) and the United States (8) dominate the list.

And it’s the boys from Brazil that look to hold an outstanding chance of medals with last year’s winners Alvaro Filho/Saymon, World Champion Evandro/Andre (second in Fort Lauderdale last season) and Olympic champs Alison/Bruno just three of the partnerships in line to compete on the Red Bull Beach Arena.

Of the eight American teams entered, six are new combinations, but last year’s bronze medalists and Florida’s local heroes Lucena/Dalhausser remain together as they aim to start the season how they finished the last, having won the World Tour Finals in Hamburg.

With so many teams entered, we can’t talk about them all, so just click this link to see if your team has made the tentative entry list and keep your eyes peeled on February 6 for news of the full list and wildcards.

Remember you can guarantee your place for the big matches at the tournament, so check out our passes and VIP packages!