The US Open Series returns for its 18th season in 2021, featuring its largest schedule since 2013. Nine WTA and ATP Tour summer tournaments will be played over six weeks leading up to the 2021 US Open, launching this week with the Hall of Fame Open ATP 250 in Newport, R.I.
A year after every US Open Series tournament but the Western & Southern Open was not held because of the COVID-19 pandemic, every Series event in the United States is returning with fans in attendance – five of which currently are set to feature 100-percent capacity – while the Hall of Fame Open and the new Tennis in the Land WTA 250 in Cleveland will feature as part of the US Open Series for the first time. The full 2021 US Open Series schedule includes:
- The Hall of Fame Open ATP 250 in Newport, R.I. (July 11-18), the first year the historic grass-court event will be played as part of the US Open Series.
- The Truist Atlanta Open ATP 250 (July 24-August 1), which will feature a women’s exhibition between Kim Clijsters and Sloane Stephens alongside a talented men’s field led by five-time champion John Isner.
- The Citi Open ATP 500 in Washington, D.C. (July 31-August 8), headlined by Rafael Nadal and Coco Gauff, who will participate in a women’s invitational.
- The Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic WTA 500 in San Jose (August 2-8), the world’s longest-running women’s-only pro tennis event which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
- The National Bank Open presented by Rogers ATP Masters 1000 (Toronto) and WTA 1000 (Montreal), held August 7-15, which will be the first edition of the tournament with its new title and presenting partners.
- The Western & Southern Open ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 (August 14-22), which returns to its home in Cincinnati, where it’s drawn nearly 200,000 spectators annually.
- The Winston-Salem Open ATP 250 in Winston-Salem, N.C. (August 21-28), the first tournament in the United States to announce its return with 100-percent fan capacity.
- The Tennis in the Land WTA 250 in Cleveland, Ohio (August 22-28), the first new tournament to join the Series since Winston-Salem in 2011.
Tennis Channel will have exclusive, live coverage of all nine US Open Series tournaments in 2021, both on television and streaming service Tennis Channel Plus. In all, the network will provide 270 live hours of matches during the series, with at least 30 live-match hours at each event. With another 365 hours of encore match re-airs this summer, Tennis Channel will dedicate close to 640 television hours to the US Open Series this year. Tennis Channel Plus will allow fans to follow their favorite stars live and on-demand as the professional tours make their annual North American march to the US Open.
The US Open Series will also continue to serve as an incubator of innovation, as seven of the nine tournaments will utilize Hawk-Eye Live electronic line-calling on all competition courts in 2021: Truist Atlanta Open, Citi Open, National Bank Open, Western & Southern Open, Winston-Salem Open and Tennis in the Land.
The Series is also continuing its recognition of one man and one woman in the beginning stages of their careers that produce an overall signature “Breakout Performance” this summer. Stefanos Tsitsipas and Aryna Sabalenka earned the distinctions in 2018, while Daniil Medvedev and Bianca Andreescu did in 2019, with Andreescu going on to win the US Open singles title and Medvedev reaching the final. As the Series nears its conclusion, a pre-established voting panel will determine which two players had the official Breakout Performances of the 2021 US Open Series based on overall results from all tournaments played.
“It’s incredibly exciting and positive to see the US Open Series returning with such strength after an immensely difficult year,” said Megan Rose, USTA Managing Director, Major Events. “Engaging fans and local communities with world-class tennis events is integral to the USTA’s mission of promoting and growing the game, so the collective hard work and determination of everyone at each tournament and both tours to bring a full summer season of professional tennis back to North America is invaluable.”
About the US Open Series
The US Open Series serves as a true “regular season” of summer tennis in North America, linking nine WTA and ATP Tour tournaments to the US Open. Featuring a cohesive weekly viewing schedule, as well as comprehensive outreach and grassroots engagement initiatives, the Series serves as a vital platform to promote and grow the game of tennis in person and at home. Fans can follow along all summer as today’s top champions go head-to-head with tomorrow’s emerging stars, while each tournament engages its local community with a variety of programs geared toward showcasing and promoting the game to new and existing fans.
About the ATP
As the global governing body of men’s professional tennis, the ATP’s mission is to serve tennis. We entertain a billion global fans, showcase the world’s greatest players at the most prestigious tournaments, and inspire the next generation of fans and players. From the ATP Cup in Australia, to Europe, the Americas and Asia, the stars of the game battle for titles and FedEx ATP Rankings points at ATP Masters 1000, 500 and 250 events, and Grand Slams. All roads lead towards the Nitto ATP Finals, the prestigious season finale held in Turin, Italy. Featuring only the world’s top 8 qualified singles players and doubles teams, the tournament also sees the official crowning of the year-end ATP World No. 1, the ultimate achievement in tennis. For more information, please visit www.ATPTour.com.
About the WTA
Founded by Billie Jean King in 1973 on the principle of equal opportunity, the WTA is the global leader in women’s professional sports. The WTA is one of the world’s most recognizable and high-profile sports organizations, consisting of more than 1650 players representing approximately 85 nations, all competing to earn WTA rankings points and prestigious tournament titles. The WTA Tour comprises of over 50 events and four Grand Slams, spanning six continents and nearly 30 countries and regions with a global audience of over 700 million. The Tour culminates with the Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen, honoring the season’s top singles and doubles players based on the final standings of the Porsche Race to Shenzhen leaderboard. Further information on the WTA can be found at wtatennis.com.
