Winston-Salem Open Celebrates ATP Honour

Everywhere he went, ATP World Tour Executive Chairman and President Chris Kermode heard the same thing on Monday at the Winston-Salem Open.

“Every player comes up and says, ‘What an amazing event. It’s so friendly. Loads of practice courts. Good facilities.’ So no wonder it won the best 250 award on tour. I can quite see why it won. It’s brilliant,” Kermode said.

The Winston-Salem Open, along with the If Stockholm Open, was voted by players as the best ATP World Tour 250 Tournament in 2016. Kermode attended the tournament for the first time on Monday to help officials celebrate the honour.

“It’s amazing. I arrived and I had no idea what to expect, and then I come here and see this amazing university setup, incredible football arena that we’re now looking over at,” Kermode said.

The tournament, in its seventh year, is hosted at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The university’s tennis complex features 11 courts available for practice throughout the day. Players also have opportunities to work out on campus, including on the football field, which is adjacent to the Wake Forest Tennis Complex.

“It’s established itself, put roots in the ground here,” Kermode said. “It’s now an event that people want to come and win, which is fantastic and that’s a huge testament to everyone who’s worked on this event.”

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