Addition of San Diego Completes North American Summer Season Tied to US Open
2005 Series Winners to Earn Double Prize Money at US Open
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., February 21, 2005 – The USTA and Promotion Sports, Inc. today announced that the Acura Classic at the La Costa Resort and Spa in San Diego will join the US Open Series, the six-week summer tennis season that now links all major ATP and WTA Tour hardcourt tournaments in North America to the US Open. With the addition of the Acura Classic, the US Open Series now includes 10 tournaments. Players in the Acura Classic will now earn points toward the US Open Series Bonus Challenge, where the Series winners will now compete for double prize money at the 2005 US Open.
The Acura Classic, August 1-7, is a WTA Tier I tournament that annually draws the top women in the game competing for $1.3 million in prize money. The Acura Classic will be televised live on ESPN as part of the 100-plus hours of live television coverage for the US Open Series.
“We're thrilled to welcome the Acura Classic -- one of the premier events in women’s tennis -- to the US Open Series," said Arlen Kantarian, Chief Executive, Pro Tennis, USTA. "The addition of San Diego now provides a truly unified 'big league' summer season of tennis for players and fans in North America, and is another example of the unprecedented collaboration in the sport. Sports in America is about telling a season long story with a big finale -- and tennis now has that platform.”
"The Acura Classic takes place during a very exciting time of year in the tennis world, as fans watch all the competition closely in anticipation of the last Grand Slam event of the season," said Raquel Giscafre of Promotion Sports, Inc., owners of the Acura Classic. "Tennis fans from all over the country and all over the world attend our event, and our alliance with the US Open Series adds a new element that’s sure to bring a heightened level of excitement to the action on the court."
2005 US Open Series Winners to Earn Double US Open Prize Money
The US Open Series Bonus Challenge directly links players' performances at US Open Series events with their earnings at the US Open. In 2005, the men’s and women’s winners of the US Open Series will compete for double prize money at the US Open -- a 100% increase from last year -- with a potential to now earn $2,000,000 at the US Open. Second place and third place finishers will also earn additional prize money.