Atlanta Open, which rocked the city, prepares for the final

Credits: RODNEY HO/rhoa@aj

Credits: RODNEY HO/rhoa@aj

ALTA Net News publisher John Hanna said the Atlanta Open’s departure is a blow to a tennis community that already prides itself on ceding valuable court space to the growing pickleball community. Atlanta has for years touted its active participation in tennis, pointing to the colossal size of ALTA, the 90-year-old nonprofit that claims more than 80,000 paying members.

“I’m very sad that it’s going away,” Hanna said. “I think the tournament proved that this city not only loves to play tennis, but also loves to watch tennis. It’s going to be such a big tennis market that there won’t be a professional event.”

But it is unclear when a major tournament could be held in Atlanta again, especially since there is no obvious permanent facility to host it like Cincinnati and Indian Wells, California, which host ATP tournaments.

This latest Atlanta Open, which will take place over nine days starting Saturday, July 20, will return to Atlantic Station on temporary courts, offering a mix of exhibitions featuring recognizable names and some of the best men’s players in the field.

The main draw features Atlanta native Ben Shelton (world No. 14) and Maryland native Frances Tiafoe (world No. 29) as the top seeds. An exhibition will take place on Sunday, July 21 between Venus Williams and Sloane Stephens and a doubles exhibition on Monday night, July 22, featuring retired American pros John Isner and Andy Roddick competing against brothers Bob and Mike Bryan, who have won doubles titles at the Open in the past.

Credits: [email protected]

Credits: [email protected]

Since 1970, professional tennis tournaments have been held repeatedly in the Atlanta metropolitan area, with names such as Ilie Nastase, John McEnroe, Andre Agassi and Jimmy Connors playing on the area’s tennis courts. In 2001, a long-running ATP tournament held at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Duluth (now Johns Creek) was canceled without a sponsor.

After a nine-year drought, the USTA Southern snatched a tournament from Indianapolis in 2010, moving it to the Atlanta Athletic Club and naming it the Atlanta Tennis Championships.

In 2011, a PGA golf tournament that conflicted with the schedule forced the tournament to temporarily relocate to the Racquet Club of the South (now Life Time Peachtree Corners). Bob Bryant, the tournament director at the time, said he was open to returning to the Atlanta Athletic Club in 2012, but got a call from Starr Cumming, then director of specialty rentals at Atlantic Station, who changed his mind.

At the time, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed had heard about the economic boon the U.S. Open represented for New York City and told executives at North American Properties, the new owners of Atlantic Station, that moving the tournament from Johns Creek to Midtown would be a major coup for the city, Cumming said.

Cumming explained to Bryant that their vibrant Midtown location would attract a younger, more diverse audience than the suburban country club. She also introduced Bryant to an Atlantic Station tenant, BB&T, the banking company that became the tournament’s title sponsor for what would become the BB&T Atlanta Open. (BB&T merged with SunTrust in 2019, renaming the tournament the Truist Atlanta Open in 2020, then dropped the sponsorship in 2021.)

Each year, Atlantic Station and the Open organizers built a temporary 3,500-seat tennis stadium in an open parking lot. With easy access from the Downtown Connector and plenty of parking, spectators could get in and out with ease. And players could easily walk to the courts from the nearby Twelve Hotel.

When Bryan watched the tournament unfold in 2012, he was thrilled: “It was electric. It was magical, especially the night matches.”

His successor, Eddie Gonzalez, who led it for a time “We tried to make it a place where you have to be seen one week a year. That’s what I’m most proud of,” he added.

Credits: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Credits: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

The Atlanta Open is not the US Open. It is a relatively minor tournament on the ATP calendar, which does not offer enough cash or ranking points to attract top 10 European players over the years, such as Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic. But the Open has had no problem attracting quality American players like Andy Roddick, Mardy Fish and Taylor Fritz.

John Isner, a graduate of the University of Georgia, became the star of the Open, reaching the final nine times and winning it six times.

“I probably played 50 matches there,” said Isner, who grew up in North Carolina and now resides in Dallas. He retired from professional tennis last year after 16 years on the tour. “I never missed it. It was a great event for me. The area is very pretty in terms of the buildings around it. It had a really intimate feel even though it was right next to the freeway. It was a unique atmosphere that you don’t get to see every day on the tour.”

Credits: CURTIS COMPTON / AJC

Credits: CURTIS COMPTON / AJC

Credits: CURTIS COMPTON / AJC

Credits: CURTIS COMPTON / AJC

The loss of the tournament is also a major loss for Atlantic Station, the 19-year-old mixed-use anchor in Midtown that is also home to Cirque du Soleil when it comes to town and the recently acquired Atlanta-based UniverSoul Circus.

The Atlanta Open draws about 30,000 people each year, providing a huge boost to Atlantic Station’s restaurants, retailers and hotels.

Now the retail manager at Atlantic Station, Cumming is actively looking for a replacement event for the summer. “It’s been a great success,” she said. “That chapter is ending. We’re going to move on to the next chapter with even more exciting things to come.”

Credits: Michael Blackshire

Credits: Michael Blackshire

IF YOU ARE GOING TO

Atlanta Open

July 20-28. Ticket prices vary. Atlantic Station, Pinnacle Lot, 221 20th St., Atlanta, atlantaopentennis.com.

PROFESSIONAL TENNIS IN ATLANTA OVER THE YEARS

1970-1976: The Atlanta World Championship with players such as Ilie Năstase, Stan Smith and Dick Stockton.

1985-1989: AT&T Challenge of Champions Atlanta Exhibition with players such as Ivan Lendl, Andre Agassi and John McEnroe.

1986-2001: Atlanta Tennis Challenge, Sponsored by AT&T for much of its run, it is held at the Omni, Horseshoe Bend Country Club in Roswell and the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek. Winners include Agassi, Michael Chang, Pete Sampras and Andy Roddick.

1995-1997: Super Showdown Exhibition at the Omni with Agassi, Elton John, Chris Evert, Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe, among others.

1997: U.S. Women’s Hard Court Championships for the WTA Tour at the Stone Mountain Tennis Center. Lindsay Davenport won.

1998: Davis Cup in the United States competing with Agassi and Jim Courier at the Stone Mountain Tennis Center.

2010-2014: Atlanta Openmainly at Atlantic Station, with players such as Roddick, John Isner and Ben Shelton.