How Memphis served as winning location for a pro tennis tournament
Omer Yusuf | Memphis Business Journal
When Topnotch Management began its search for a new city to host its Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) event, one location quickly emerged as a strong candidate.
Topnotch — based in Cleveland — had run the WTA’s Tennis in the Land tournament for five years in Cleveland. However, the tournament was always played at a temporary venue built on parking lots in Downtown Cleveland. That eventually led to the tournament’s departure when a permanent venue couldn’t be secured.
“Financially, it was just a huge challenge, and we knew it wasn't the venue that a tournament of this stature deserves,” said Kyle Ross with Topnotch Management and former Tennis in the Land tournament director.
Topnotch began looking for other cities that could host the WTA event. Memphis became an instant contender due to its recent pro tennis past and recently renovated Leftwich Tennis Center in East Memphis.
“Those two pieces alone are a great recipe to bring a tournament to a new home,” Ross said.
A return of pro tennis
On March 2, officials announced the Memphis Classic, to be held from July 25-Aug. 2 at Leftwich. This is the first tournament under a multi-year deal. Topnotch is operating the WTA event, with Ross now Memphis Classic tournament director.
The Memphis Classic has also secured national sponsorship and hopes to attract more sponsors ahead of this year’s event, according to the initial tournament announcement.
The last time Memphis hosted a major pro tennis event occurred in 2017, with the then-Memphis Open was held at the now-demolished Racquet Club of Memphis.
“We've hosted the best before,” said City of Memphis Mayor Paul Young at the press conference on March 2. “We're stepping back onto that stage. This tournament puts one of our premier city-owned facilities in the global spotlight. It brings elite women's tennis to our community, and that matters for our young athletes, it matters for our neighborhoods, and it matters for our city's reputation as a place that can host major events well.”
The Memphis Classic is set to feature a 32-player singles draw, with WTA 250-level ranking points and prize money. The player field won't be confirmed until four weeks before the event begins. The U.S. Open is scheduled to begin Aug. 30, about a month after the Memphis Classic.
Ross, in an interview with MBJ after the press conference, credited Tennis Memphis CEO John Borden for helping bring the tournament to the city.
“He was always an ally, and he had his finger on the pulse of the values that a pro tennis tournament can bring to his organization and the community,” Ross said. “I don't think without him, this would have happened.”
Tennis Memphis is a nonprofit that is part of the joint venture at Leftwich along with the University of Memphis and the City of Memphis.
“This is a real opportunity to energize our entire community and show every young person what excellence looks like,” Borden said. “Demonstrated by the best athletes in the world, delivering exciting moments of competition that only tennis and sports can deliver.”
Memphis Classic's impact
Ross also said Leftwich is set to provide one of the best player experiences on the WTA 250 level.
“When the WTA sports science and medicine people, physios and doctors on one of our site visits saw some of the locker room and the hot tub, cold tub, I think their jaws dropped,” Ross told MBJ. “It was just wildly impressive, and it's going to outshine some WTA-500 level facilities as well, and for me that's huge.”
Memphis Tourism president and CEO Kevin Kane estimated the tournament’s economic impact at $1.1 million.
Ross said his goal is to reach and grow that number and to include other Memphis businesses in that success.
“I recognize that I'm an outsider, and my company is not based here, so because of that, I have a lot of spending decisions, and I want to spend in market,” he said. “I know that's what this tournament needs to do to make an impact on the community.”