Women’s pro clay-court tournament comes to metro Atlanta
Professional women’s tennis returns to the Atlanta area with great timing. Not only is the tournament scheduled for the middle of National Tennis Month, but the singles final is set for Mother’s Day.
Tournament Director Scott Mitchell of Premier Sport International announced the $100K US Pro Women’s Clay Court Championships will be played May 8-14 at the Atlanta Athletic Club in the northern Atlanta suburb of Johns Creek, Ga.
“This is more than just a tennis tournament. We go in with the approach of hosting an event that engages the whole community,” Mitchell said during a press conference at the club. He cited other tournaments that he has overseen that send the players to elementary schools and other areas of the community to connect the pro game with children.
Left to right: Bill Riddle, Emcee/media; Jeff Chandley, Atlanta Athletic Club Tennis Director; Scott Mitchell, Tournament Director; Kevin Case, AAC Tennis Chair; Carmen Garcia, AAC Assoc. Tennis Director; Davis Sheppard, AAC GM.
Atlanta Athletic Club Director of Athletics Jeff Chandley said, “We are thrilled to be able to host such a high-level event at the Atlanta Athletic Club. This will be an annual event here and a great way to celebrate the club’s 125th anniversary in 2023. We are looking forward to support from the AAC membership and expecting the community to be excited to attend the event at the historic Atlanta Athletic Club.”
The club hosted the first year of the Atlanta Open on hard courts in 2010 and the AT&T Atlanta Challenge on clay starting in the 1990s and ending in 2001. Mitchell said the facility has six clay courts, with three needed for competition and two for practice.
The USTA Pro Circuit and an ITF World Tennis Tour event will have a 32-player singles and 16-team doubles draw. Qualifying rounds with 32 singles players begin on May 8 with the main draw set to start on May 9 at 11 a.m. It will be one of three women’s clay court tournaments at the $100K level.
The tournament also be one of four spring tournaments that will be used to determine which American will receive a wild card into the French Open.
USTA Atlanta Executive Director Amy O’Connell expressed her goal of partnering with the tournament to connect with thousands of USTA members in the metro area. USTA Atlanta is the largest USTA community tennis community in the country.
President Lamar Scott of the Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association (better known as ALTA) said the 60,000 members would enthusiastically support the tournament.
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