ATP Dallas Open becomes new tradition, puts North Texas on the map

This week, the ATP Dallas Open tennis tournament ends another year.

This is quickly becoming a North Texas tradition, bringing millions of dollars into the local economy.

Last year, for the first time in more than three decades, big tennis returned to the area. The event is what tennis star and Dallas resident John Isner wants to see him reach new heights in the coming years.

“Enthusiasm for tennis in North Texas is extremely high. In my opinion – and I have lived in several different places, I have played tennis all over the world – I have never seen such excitement of the game as in this city, ”he said at a recent press conference.

Isner is hosting again this year, welcoming the countless tennis fans from far and wide who have flocked to the SMU Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex all week for sold out matches on the Associated Tennis Professionals Tour. The ATP Tour is the governing body for the men’s professional tennis tournaments, with over 63 tournaments in 31 countries.

The ATP Tour is also responsible for other major events such as Wimbledon, the French Open and the US Open.

The Dallas Open is one of 10 U.S. tournaments on the ATP Tour and the only U.S. closed ATP Tour championship. It features over 60 world-class ATP Tour professionals in singles and doubles (28-man singles main draw and 16-team doubles draw) and is televised around the world.

“Our broadcast covers more than 120 countries of the world. We have Dallas on the courts, everyone knows exactly where we are, and I think it will be useful for the city to help them become famous,” said Petr Lebedev, Dallas Open Tournament Director and Executive Vice President for tennis operations. for GF Sports & Entertainment. “But you know, our goal is to make sure everyone knows it’s in Texas, and we’re helping the economy as much as we can. Everyone was amazing trying to help us make this a fantastic event.”

Last year, the Dallas Open injected about $10 million into the local economy. Lebedev said it could top $13 million to $14 million this year.

The tournament also has a significant impact on charity. The Dallas Open partners with the John Isner Family Foundation, which provides financial support to families for food, clothing, transportation, and medical supplies while their child is in the care of Children’s Health.

Lebedev said they have taken suggestions and requests from tennis fans to make the tournament even better this year. People wanted to see female athletes, so they started with women’s tennis classics.

“We haven’t quite figured out all the innovations for 2024 yet, but it will be in our survey that we send out to people. I think that most of all people appreciate that we listen to them,” Lebedev said.

They also improved parking and focused on working with local suppliers to keep this growth going in Dallas.

“We have increased the number of suppliers we use locally,” Lebedev said. “Our goal is to make sure we support the locals, so we’re not trying to get people out of town — we want all the people from Dallas and Texas to be.”

One such food partnership includes beloved Dallas restaurant Mi Cocina, which actually created a special “Dallas Open Mambo” drink for the occasion – similar to how other sporting events have a signature drink like the Kentucky mint julep. Derby.

And on that note, when one thinks of Dallas, the big teams that dominate basketball, football, baseball, and hockey often come to mind. Organizers of the ATP Dallas Open hope that tennis can be added to this list.

“Tennis is the fourth most popular sport in the world and we are part of it. We have been mentioned among these sports – we are very proud of it. And we look forward to continuing to build and raise our standards so that when people think of Dallas and the surrounding area, they think of our tennis tournament,” Lebedev said.

The tournament will run until Sunday, February 12th.

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