WHITNEY OSUIGWE LEADS THE “NET GENERATION FREE TENNIS LESSON” AS THE 100-DAY COUNTDOWN TO 2018 CONNECTICUT OPEN BEGINS
World No.1 Junior takes part in USTA New England-led clinic involving 425 New Haven 3rd Graders aimed at encouraging children into New Haven Parks & Rec tennis lessons
NEW HAVEN, Conn., May 9, 2018 – Reigning Roland Garros Junior champion and rising WTA star Whitney Osuigwe took part in a USTA kids’ clinic for 425 New Haven Third Graders at the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale as the tournament hosted its community-focused “Free Tennis Lesson” for the 15th time this morning.
The introductory clinic is an integral part of the Connecticut Open’s mission to leverage the excitement of world-class women’s tennis to benefit the community and support local youth causes. Staged in conjunction with the USTA, USTA New England and New Haven Public Schools, the Net Generation Free Tennis Lesson aims to promote the sport and encourage New Haven youth into tennis lessons offered by New Haven Parks & Recreation throughout the spring, summer and fall.
The clinic was attended by Toni Harp, Mayor of the City of New Haven, Dr. Carol Birks, Superintendent, New Haven Public Schools, Tournament Director Anne Worcester and Osuigwe, who will receive a wild card into the Connecticut Open qualifying draw and recently reached the quarterfinals of the $80,000 USTA Pro Circuit women’s event in Charleston, S.C.
Osuigwe said: “I was honored to be asked to attend the Net Generation Free Tennis Lesson today. Encouraging children to learn and grow through the sport of tennis and to see them being given the opportunities I was is really important to me. I loved seeing the smiles on their faces today and I hope many of them choose to keep playing. I want to thank the Connecticut Open for giving me this wild card opportunity and I can’t wait to be back here this summer.”
There are exactly 100 days to go until the 2018 Connecticut Open, held from August 17-25, begins. Tournament Director Worcester added: “Giving back to the community is at the heart of what we do and we were delighted that Whitney was able to take part in our 15th Free Tennis Lesson. With our strong emphasis on community, we also like to support the future generations and Whitney is one of the most exciting talents this country has produced in recent years.100 days out from our 2018 event, we have lots of exciting news in the pipeline and are working to make this summer’s tournament one of the ‘can’t miss’ events on your summer calendar.”
Net Generation is the new youth initiative of the USTA, which aims to inspire the next generation of tennis players by embracing all aspects of youth play for kids aged 5-18. The USTA has a longstanding commitment to encouraging healthy and active lifestyles among children.
For more information about the 2018 Connecticut Open, which takes place from August 17-25, including multi-session packages, weeklong box seats, sponsorship packages, hospitality and becoming a volunteer, visit www.ctopen.org or call 203-776-7331. Daily tickets for the tournament will be on sale starting the week of June 11.
About Connecticut Open
The Connecticut Open is a WTA tournament held at the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale featuring a 30-player singles main draw, a 48-player qualifying draw and a 16-team doubles draw with total prize money of $799,000. The 2017 title was won by Australia’s Daria Gavrilova, who collected her maiden WTA trophy as the tournament celebrated 20 years of women’s tennis in New Haven. Past champions include Steffi Graf, Lindsay Davenport (2 titles), Jennifer Capriati, Venus Williams (4), Justine Henin, Caroline Wozniacki (4) and Petra Kvitova (3). As a not-for-profit 501c3 charitable organization, the Connecticut Open’s mission is to leverage the excitement of world-class women’s tennis to benefit the local community and maximize support for women’s, youth and other causes. The tournament also generates $10+ million in regional economic impact. The Connecticut Open is prominently featured domestically through 50+ hours on ESPN2 and ESPN3 and is also broadcast internationally by WTA Media in 158 countries. In 2017, the global audience reached nearly 12 million viewers. For more details and tickets, visit www.ctopen.org
or call 1-855-464-8366
- Whitney Osuigwe hits with some young players.
- New Haven third graders pose for a photo.
- The Free Lesson was a Net Generation lesson.
- Young players participate in a relay race.
- Whitney Osuigwe hits around before the lesson.
- Each player received a free Net Generation tee shirt and water bottle.
- Osuigwe along with New Haven Mayor Toni Harp, Superinte Dr. Carol Birks and CT Open TD Anne Worcester.
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