Chicago To Make Challenger Debut In September

  • Posted: Jul 18, 2018

Chicago To Make Challenger Debut In September

Jul182018

ATP Challenger Tour descends on the Windy City with new $150,000 event

It is long known for its revolutionary architecture, fascinating museums, thriving sports scene and of course deep dish pizza. And now, the bustling city of Chicago is an ATP Challenger Tour destination.

The third-largest city in the United States will host a Challenger tournament for the first time, as a new $150,000 event descends on the metropolis in September. The event will be held at the XS Tennis Village during the second week of the US Open, from 2-9 September. It will be the second Challenger in the greater Chicago area, with nearby Winnetka celebrating its 27th anniversary last week.

“We are thrilled to welcome the Oracle Challenger Series to Chicago this September,” said Kamau Murray, President and CEO of XS Tennis Village and Executive Director of XS Tennis and Education Foundation. “We’re proud to work with Oracle on this great event and support the incredible work that they do. Their commitment to the sport goes hand-in-hand with our mission at XS to provide a positive pathway to future success through tennis.”

Murray’s foundation was established in 2005 to offer tennis opportunities to at-risk youth in Chicago. His recently-opened $15 million 13-acre facility features 13 outdoor hard courts, 12 indoor hard courts, four clay courts, a track and turf field and a $10,000 square-foot gym.

Continuing its commitment to grow the game at the Challenger level and provide more opportunities for players in world-class settings, Oracle announced the addition of the tournament as part of the Oracle Challenger Series. 

Earlier this year, the series launched with a pair of successful events in Southern California. #NextGenATP star Taylor Fritz kicked off his charge in the ATP Race To Milan with a title run in Newport Beach, the fourth victory in his young career, while former World No. 24 Martin Klizan returned to the winners’ circle in Indian Wells.

The 2018-19 Oracle Challenger Series will begin in Chicago, with additional events to be added at a later date. It will culminate at the 2019 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, the first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event of the year, where the two Americans who accumulate the most points over the course of the series will receive wild cards into the singles main draw.

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The Oracle Challenger Series builds on Oracle’s commitment to help support U.S. tennis at both the professional and collegiate level. Oracle sponsors the Oracle US Tennis Awards, two $100,000 grants awarded annually to assist young players as they transition from college into the professional ranks. In addition to sponsoring the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings, Oracle also hosts the Oracle ITA Masters tournament in Malibu, California and the Oracle ITA National Fall Championships which will be held at the Surprise Tennis Center in Surprise, Arizona in 2018.

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