US Fed Cup Team To Face Latvia Feb. 7-8 at the Angel Of The Winds Arena for a Spot in the 2020 Fed Cup Finals
Fed Cup Women’s Tennis Comes to Everett, Wash., for U.S. vs. Latvia Feb. 7-8
18-Time-Champion U.S. Fed Cup Team to Play at Angel Of The Winds Arena for a Spot in the 2020 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Finals in Budapest, Hungary
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., November 19, 2019 – The USTA today announced that Fed Cup tennis, the world’s largest annual international team competition in women’s sport, will come to Washington state for the first time, as the United States Fed Cup Team will take on Latvia in a 2020 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Qualifying competition February 7-8 inside the Angel Of The Winds Arena in Everett, Wash.
Fed Cup by BNP Paribas is the World Cup of Tennis, and the U.S. is its most successful nation, with 18 titles. The American team last won the championship in 2017 and reached the Final in 2018. Over the last several years, players such as Serena and Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys and Sofia Kenin have played in Fed Cup matches for the U.S.
The Qualifying competition vs. Latvia is a best-of-five match series played over two days, with each country bringing a team of four or five players. The ‘tie,’ as it’s called, begins Friday, February 7, with two singles matches between each country’s No. 1- and No. 2-nominated players. Two reverse singles matches, between each country’s No. 1s and each country’s No. 2s, and the doubles match will follow on Saturday, February 8.
“As a native Washingtonian, I’m thrilled to see Fed Cup come to Washington for the first time,” said USTA Chairman of the Board and President Patrick Galbraith, a Tacoma native. “Washington has such a vibrant tennis community, and this competition gives us a chance to bring world-class tennis to Everett, engage with the community and use this platform to truly celebrate and grow tennis in the area.”
Matches will be played at Angel Of The Winds Arena on a temporary indoor hard court, with an amended schedule possible for Saturday should one nation clinch victory in the third or fourth singles match. The winner of this matchup advances to the 2020 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Finals April 14-19 in Budapest, Hungary – a new format for the Finals similar to the World Cup in which 12 nations converge on one venue to compete for the title.
Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Friday, November 22, and can be purchased at usta.com/fedcup. Two-day ticket packages for both Friday and Saturday – the best initial ticket value – will be sold at prices ranging from $50 to $250 or $25 to $125 per day. Single-day tickets for Friday or Saturday will be sold with prices ranging from $30 to $135 per day. Visit usta.com/fedcup for more information.
USTA members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets in advance through an exclusive presale today through Thursday, November 21, or while supplies last.
Fed Cup events have had demonstrative effects on the local communities they’ve visited in recent years. The U.S. hosted Fed Cup in Asheville, N.C., in 2018, an event that generated nearly $5 million in economic impact for the region and prompted Asheville to host Fed Cup again in 2019. San Antonio hosted a Fed Cup tie in April 2019, with an estimated economic impact of $3.5 million.
“It’s an exciting time to be part of the tennis community with its constant growth in popularity amongst all demographics. It’s such an honor to bring a piece of that excitement to Angel Of The Winds in Everett and the entire region,” said Gary Weikel, Board President and the entire Everett Public Facilities District for Angel Of The Winds Arena.
The USTA and local organizers also engage hundreds of kids from the area with tennis programming in what ultimately amounts to a weeklong celebration of the sport.
The U.S. team is captained by former world No. 7 Kathy Rinaldi. The players representing both teams will be named no later than 10 days before the start of the competition.
The U.S. holds an overall 152-37 record in Fed Cup competition with a 42-7 record in home ties. For more information, including access to player and historical Fed Cup records, please go to www.usta.com/fedcup or www.fedcup.com.
Those interested in volunteering for the event can inquire by sending an email fedcupeverettvc@gmail.com.
