Pro tournament announces sports medicine partner, player field

Jul 2

Omer Yusuf | Memphis Business Journal

The first professional tennis tournament in Memphis in nearly a decade begins later this month.

The Memphis Classic recently confirmed its player field for the 2026 event and announced a partnership with one of the largest private companies in the area.

The tournament field is headlined by No. 19 player in the world, Ekaterina Alexandrova. The Memphis Classic, a Women’s Tennis Association (WTA)-250 level event, is set to be held July 25–Aug. 2 at Leftwich Tennis Center.

The Memphis Classic is set to be held at a custom-built, 2,000-spectator grandstand at Leftwich. It’s the first edition of the tournament under a multiyear deal.

The Memphis Classic is operated by Topnotch Management, a Cleveland-based sports agency, in partnership with the nonprofit Tennis Memphis.

The Memphis Open tennis tournament had a four-decade run in the city, last held in 2017 at the now-demolished Racquet Club of Memphis.

A full list of players participating at the Memphis Classic is included at the end of this story.

Memphis Classic announces Campbell Clinic partnership

Campbell Clinic is the Memphis Classic’s first official sports medicine and orthopedic partner.

“We’re thrilled to support the return of professional tennis to the Mid-South region,” Dr. Frederick Azar, Campbell Clinic sports medicine orthopedic surgeon, said in a statement. “This partnership is particularly fitting as our team has a longstanding history of successfully supporting athletes of all levels.”

Campbell Clinic was founded in 1909 and offers sports medicine, outpatient surgery, rehabilitation, and other orthopedic care. The practice is one of the largest private companies in the Memphis area, placing No. 19 on MBJ's Top 100 Private Companies list with $571 million in revenue in 2024.

Memphis Classic player field

Main draw