The U.S. was well represented as the ATP World Tour announced its best tournaments of 2016, taking home the top honors in two of the three categories.

 

The Emirates Airline US Open Series event in Winston-Salem, N.C., was named tournament of the year at 250 category level, and the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., received top billing at the 1000 level. The category levels are designated at the number of ATP ranking points a player receives for winning that tournament.

 

The Winston-Salem Open shared the award at the 250 level with the Stockholm Open in Stockholm, Sweden. The Queen’s Club event in London was honored at the 500 level.

 

The Tournament of the Year awards are decided by a vote of the ATP players.

 

“These tournaments have set the benchmark in their respective categories in 2016 and fully deserve this recognition from the players,” said ATP Executive Chairman and President Chris Kermode. ADVERTISEMENT “Our tournaments are continuously striving to reach greater heights, and this is a fitting recognition of the tireless work and effort that has been put in by each tournament’s organizing team.”

 

The Winston-Salem Open (pictured above), which celebrated its sixth year in 2016, annually anchors the Series as the last men’s tournament of the summer season. It is hosted on the campus of Wake Forest University.

 

“We recognize this award is due to the amazing dedication of not only the tournament staff but because of the many volunteers and those in the Winston-Salem community who work to make our tournament and city a great place for the ATP World Tour players to compete and prepare for the US Open,” said Bill Oakes, the Winston-Salem Open tournament director.

 

The BNP Paribas Open, one of nine Masters 1000 events held throughout the world, has been named as the ATP Masters 1000 Tournament of the Year for the third consecutive season. The tournament received the distinction for the first time in 2014, following the debut of its state-of-the-art Stadium 2, additional practice courts and a new shade structure. Following the 2016 event, numerous improvements have been made to Stadium 1, including upgrading, expanding and adding concessions and suites for the 2017 event.

 

“As a player, I can understand why this event has been named Tournament of the Year on the ATP Tour for the third consecutive year,” said former world No. 2 and newly named Indian Wells Tournament Director Tommy Haas. “Now as a member of the Indian Wells team, I have even more respect for the countless hours of planning and dedication that the entire staff contributes to make the BNP Paribas Open one of the best sporting events in the world. We remain focused on improving the event every year and hope to make the 2017 edition even more memorable.”