2018 US OPEN SERIES LAUNCHES NEXT WEEK WITH MEN AT BB&T ATLANTA OPEN — FOLLOWED BY WOMEN AT MUBADALA SILICON VALLEY CLASSIC IN SAN JOSE IN WEEK TWO
Series’ 15th Season Features Daily Coverage across
ESPN Networks and Tennis Channel
Tournaments to Feature Community Events Powered By Net Generation
Series to Recognize Men’s and Women’s “Breakout Performance” at Season’s End
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., July 19, 2018 –The 15th season of the US Open Series, the five-week North American summer tennis season that links seven WTA and ATP World Tour summer hard court tournaments to the US Open, launches next week with the men’s BB&T Atlanta Open followed by the women’s Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose in week two. Since its inception in 2004, the US Open Series has increased television viewership with a cohesive schedule, while also increasing attendance and generating new corporate partnerships for its tournaments. In addition, the Series will continue to engage its local tournament communities with a variety of outreach initiatives, including grass-roots clinics and activities involving Net Generation, the official youth tennis of the USTA.
In total, more than 70 hours of live national television coverage is scheduled to air on ESPN2, nearly 140 hours of live match coverage on ESPN3 and more than 100 hours of live national television coverage on Tennis Channel. This includes weeklong coverage on ESPN2 and ESPN3 from the BB&T Atlanta Open, Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose, Winston-Salem Open and the Connecticut Open in New Haven, as well as Thursday through Sunday coverage on ESPN2 from the Rogers Cup in Toronto (men) and Montreal (women), and the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. In addition, beIN Sports will feature WTA coverage of Montreal, while Tennis Channel will have ATP World Tour coverage at Toronto and both ATP World Tour and WTA coverage at Cincinnati.
For the third consecutive year, 34 days of coverage — every day of the US Open Series — will air across ESPN’s platforms and Tennis Channel. The Series premieres on ESPN2 on Saturday, July 28, from the BB&T Atlanta Open with a semifinal match at 7:00 p.m. ET, followed by the final on Sunday, July 29 at 5:00 p.m. ET. Earlier in the week, ESPN3 will begin coverage from Atlanta with early round matches on Monday, July 23 beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET. See the full summer TV schedule here.
The impressive roster of television talent covering the 2018 US Open Series season includes: ESPN’s Darren Cahill, Chris Evert, Mary Joe Fernandez, Chris Fowler, Brad Gilbert, Jason Goodall, Sam Gore, John McEnroe, Patrick McEnroe, Pam Shriver and Rennae Stubbs; Tennis Channel’s Paul Annacone, Tracy Austin, Mary Carillo, Lindsay Davenport, Alex Faust, Justin Gimelstob, Brett Haber, Mark Knowles, Chanda Rubin, Leif Shiras, Steve Weissman and Ari Wolfe.
New in 2018, the US Open Series will officially recognize one man and one woman in the beginning stages of their career that produced an overall signature “Breakout Performance” this summer. As the five-week season nears its conclusion during the week of Monday, August 20, a pre-established voting panel will determine which two players had the official Breakout Performance of the 2018 US Open Series based on overall results from all tournaments played. This vote will include the “voice of the fan,” as US Open Twitter polls will be utilized as part of the overall panel.
The US Open Series season will once again be supported by the “Serving up the Best of Summer” marketing campaign, which highlights the ways in which fans can celebrate summer at each Series event. The campaign will roll out across a variety of media, including television, print, online and social media — helping to drive ticket sales and viewership. Fans can join the conversation by using hashtag #USOpenSeries and by following @usopen. Fans can share their experiences at US Open Series tournaments using hashtag #MyUSOpenSeries.
New multi-year sponsor Cheeses of Europe will have a significant presence at each of the U.S.- based Series tournaments with on-site product sampling for fans. The trade association is known for its campaign tagline “Make it Magnifique,” which encourages consumers to “add European cheeses to any dish, recipe or occasion to take it from good to great to magnifique.”
All US Open Series events will again utilize the “Emirates Review” – a “3 plus 1” player challenge system for electronic line calling. The US Open Series is also supported by American Express and Deloitte.
“The WTA, ATP World Tour and USTA continue to make important strides in elevating the US Open Series summer season to an all-inclusive experience for both new and existing fans,” said J. Wayne Richmond, USTA Managing Director, Major Events. “Top champions, emerging stars, multiple television and digital viewing platforms, new sponsors and wide range of community-driven Net Generation clinics and activities for kids and their families translates into something for everyone and a bright future for tennis.”
Kids’ Days and High School Days Powered By Net Generation
The US Open Series will continue to fully embrace grassroots-level, family-oriented events with local communities in order to help support the growth of the sport. All of the events are powered By Net Generation, the official youth tennis of the USTA. Parents and youth players can create accounts today at NetGeneration.com.
The following tournaments will host Kids’ Days Powered By Net Generation:
The following tournaments will host High School Days Powered By Net Generation:
Military Outreach
The US Open Series recognizes the sacrifice and service of veterans and those who currently serve in the U.S. Armed Forces. The below tournaments will honor these individuals and their families with discounted ticket promotions and on-site ceremonies throughout the summer:
Hispanic Youth Events and LGBT Pride Nights
Diversity and inclusion is a priority for the sport, and engaging growing Hispanic and LGBT communities continues to help tennis reflect today’s America. The following events will host Hispanic Youth Events during their tournament:
The following US Open Series events will be hosting LGBT Pride Nights during their tournament:
USTA Foundation and NJTL Youth Tennis Clinics
The US Open Series enters its sixth year partnering with the USTA Foundation, the national charitable foundation of the United States Tennis Association (USTA). The USTA Foundation brings together the powerful combination of tennis and education to change the lives of under-resourced youth around the United States, with a primary focus on the National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network. In each US Open Series market in the U.S., the USTA Foundation will host one or more youth tennis clinics for local NJTL chapters. Furthermore, the USTA Foundation will award each chapter with a “Serving Up Dreams” grant to support their educational programming, provide new tennis equipment, and generate facility improvements.
Rogers Cup Community Events
*Dates subject to change.
About the US Open Series
Now in its 15th season, the world’s best players on the WTA and ATP World Tour are coming together for the US Open Series. Linking seven summer WTA and ATP World Tour tournaments to the US Open, the US Open Series serves as a true “regular season” of hard court tennis. Featuring a cohesive schedule, the Series centralizes the way tennis is viewed in North America, across multiple television and digital platforms. Fans will see today’s top champions go head-to-head with tomorrow’s emerging stars, as storylines develop throughout the summer season. Each tournament also engages its local community with a variety of outreach initiatives, including grass-roots youth tennis clinics and activities.
About the WTA
The WTA is the global leader in women’s professional sport with more than 2,500 players representing nearly 100 nations competing for a record $146 million in prize money. The 2018 WTA competitive season includes 54 events and four Grand Slams in 30 countries.
About the ATP World Tour
The ATP World Tour, with 64 tournaments in 31 countries, showcases the finest male athletes competing in the world’s most exciting venues. From Australia to Europe and the Americas to Asia, the stars of the 2018 ATP World Tour will battle for prestigious titles and ATP Rankings points at ATP World Tour Masters 1000, 500 and 250 events, as well as Grand Slams (non-ATP events).
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