Where: Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale University, New Haven, CT

When: Aug. 23-29, 2015 (qualifying starts Aug. 21)

Defending Champions: Petra Kvitova (singles); Andreja Klepac and Silvia Soler Espinosa (doubles)

Tournament Website: www.ctopen.org 

 
History: The Connecticut Open has been played in New Haven, Conn., since 1998. The tournament, also recognized as the U.S. Women's Hard Court Championships, began in 1948. After not being held from 1970-1987, it was revived in San Antonio in 1998 and was moved to Vermont in 1993. It was held in New Haven as a dual event in conjunction with the ATP World Tour from 2005 to 2010, at which time the men's component moved to Winston-Salem, N.C. The event changed its name from the New Haven Open at Yale to the Connecticut Open for the 2014 event.

 

Past women's champions in New Haven include Jennifer Capriati, Lindsay Davenport, Steffi Graf, Justine Henin, Petra Kvitova, Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki. In fact, Elena Bovina (2004) is the only champion since the tournament's revival in 1998 to have never reached a Grand Slam singles final or been ranked inside the Top 2. 

 

2014 Recap: No. 2 seed Kvitova won her second Connecticut Open title in three years, storming through the draw without the loss of a set and defeating Magdalena Rybarikova in the championship match, 6-4, 6-2. It was Kvitova's second title of the year and came less than two months after her second Wimbledon crown. In doubles, the unseeded team of Andreja Klepac and Silvia Soler Espinosa defeated Marina Erakovic and Arantxa Parra Santonja in a thrilling final, 7-5, 4-6, (10-7). It was the third WTA doubles title of Klepac's career and the first of any kind for Soler Espinosa. 

 

2015 Preview: The Connecticut Open will once again be the WTA’s final stop during the 2015 Emirates Airline US Open Series, with the qualifying draw beginning on Aug. 21. The 2015 main draw includes 10 of the Top 20 players in the world, including defending champion and world No. 4 Petra Kvitova, world No. 5 and four-time Connecticut Open champion Caroline Wozniacki, No. 6 Lucie Safarova, No. 8 Garbbine Muguruza and rising American star and 2015 Australian Open semifinalist Madison Keys.

 

Fun Fact: The Connecticut Open also plays host to the championship rounds of the US Open National Playoffs, which award a men's and women's wild card into the US Open qualifying tournament and main draw wild cards into the men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles events of the US Open. This is the first year that the men's and women's doubls events have been added to the US Open National Playoffs.

 

Legends of the Game: After a highly successful inaugural Legends event last year, the Connecticut Open is bringing the event back for 2015. Former world No. 4 and Connecticut native James Blake will square off against former world No. 1 and 2003 US Open champion Andy Roddick on Wednesday, Aug. 21, and four-time Grand Slam champion Jim Courier will take on 17-time Grand Slam champion (singles and doubles) John McEnroe on Friday, Aug. 28. Both matches will take place after the 7 p.m. featured WTA match.