PETRA KVITOVA CONFIRMS ENTRY INTO 2018 CONNECTICUT OPEN

THREE-TIME CHAMPION AND WORLD NO. 8 PETRA KVITOVA CONFIRMS ENTRY INTO 2018 CONNECTICUT OPEN

Two-time Wimbledon champion enjoying stellar season with WTA-leading 4 singles titles in 2018
 

NEW HAVEN, Conn.--  Three-time champion Petra Kvitová will return to the Connecticut Open this summer as she looks to build on an incredible year of success that has included four titles and a WTA-leading 30 match wins, it was announced today by Tournament Director Anne Worcester.
 
Kvitová lifted her third title at the WTA Premier Mandatory Mutua Madrid Open, scoring her seventh Top 10 victory this year in her semi-final win over Karolina Pliskova and ensuring her rise back up to No.8 in the WTA world rankings. This will be her eighth visit to New Haven, where she won in 2012, 2014, and 2015.

"The Connecticut Open is one of my favorite events in the summer so it feels great to have it confirmed on my calendar," said Kvitová. "I have a special relationship with the tournament and always feel such strong support when I’m on the court there. Last year didn’t go so well so I’m hoping to bring back my best tennis this year."

Kvitová has jumped to No.3 on the Porsche Race to Singapore Leaderboard. The Czech star is currently riding an 11-match winning streak, including title runs in Prague and Madrid. Kvitová, who holds a 19-4 record in New Haven has 24 WTA titles to her name. She is the first player to be confirmed for the WTA event, which will be held August 17-25 at the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale.

"Petra has become part of the make-up of our tournament every summer," added Worcester. “She’s an absolute joy to have in our field and after the incredible start she has made in 2018, we couldn’t be more excited to announce her as our first player. She has shown such courage to get back to her best after an incredibly difficult 2017 and is playing some of the best tennis of her career. I’m sure our fans here in New Haven are looking forward to seeing her play once again.”

For more information about the 2018 Connecticut Open, 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, theConnecticut 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