ATLANTA – Individual session tickets to the BB&T Atlanta Open are now available for purchase. The BB&T Atlanta Open will be held July 14-22 at Atlantic Station, in the heart of Midtown Atlanta. Tickets are available for purchase in each of the 11 sessions from qualifying weekend, July 14-15, through the two finals on Sunday, July 22. Week-long ticket packages, weekend ticket packages and individual session tickets are available at http://www.bbtatlantaopen.com.

The BB&T Atlanta Open is the first men’s event in the Emirates Airline US Open Series. Several of the world’s top players have committed to play in the tournament: Former world No. 1 Andy Roddick, top-10 player John Isner, top-40 players Kei Nishikori and Kevin Anderson, and reigning US Open mixed doubles champ Jack Sock.

Ticket options this year include Champagne Suites, Courtside Seats and Platinum seats, all of which include VIP lounge access and other Weeklong Ticket Packages benefits. The Weekend Ticket Packages are also new for the tournament, allowing fans to purchase the last four sessions, including the quarterfinal through final matches.  Weeklong Ticket Packages feature the same seat for all matches and the greatest discount off individual prices.

The BB&T Atlanta Open will be moving from previous suburban Atlanta locations to the heart of Midtown Atlanta for the first year of a multi-year partnership with Atlantic Station as the new host site. The tournament will be played on three new competition courts and three new practice courts being built on the site. The 3,600-seat stadium court will be visible from I-75/I-85, offering an outstanding view of the Atlanta skyline. This is one of the few outdoor tournaments ever to be held in the middle of a city on the entire ATP World Tour. Atlantic Station is a mixed-use development featuring 12 restaurants, 30 retailers and a movie theater complex.

 

"No tennis fan could have more fun at any other tournament in the world with all we have to offer this year," stated Bob Bryant, tournament director. "The focus is on great tennis, a fun festival-like environment, fan-friendly features and convenience. The BB&T Atlanta Open at Atlantic Station will be the single most talked about event of the year."

A study by the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau estimates the BB&T Atlanta Open economic impact on the city to exceed $10.3 million. The tournament is broadcast nationally on ESPN2 and Tennis Channel, as well as globally via several international broadcasters. American Mardy Fish, a top-10 ATP World Tour player, has won the last two Atlanta tournaments facing Isner in the final both times. The tournament has also featured collegiate players from Georgia, Georgia Tech and Georgia State.

About the BB&T Atlanta Open
Mardy Fish defeated John Isner in 2010 and 2011 to win the first two singles finals when the tournament was called the Atlanta Tennis Championships. Other top competitors included Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt, James Blake and Robby Ginepri, of Marietta, Ga. More than 72,000 spectators attended the tournament that offers $531,000 in prize money annually. Atlantic Station signed a multi-year deal to host the tournament starting in 2012. The 2012 tournament is expected to provide an economic impact of $10.3 million to the city of Atlanta, according to the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau. The ATP World Tour formally awarded the ATP 250 sanction to the USTA Southern Section in December 2009.

Visit us on www.bbtatlantaopen.com, www.facebook.com/BBTAtlantaOpen, twitter.com/BBTAtlantaOpen.

About the Emirates Airline US Open Series

Now in its ninth season, the Emirates Airline US Open Series continues to serve as a true regular season of hard-court tennis, linking 10 summer tournaments to the US Open. Fans follow the action throughout the summer during national broadcast coverage while players battle for $40 million, including a chance for bonus prize money at the US Open. The Series collectively reached a U.S. television audience of 39 million and drew more than 800,000 on-site fans in 2011. In 2012, Emirates Airline became the title sponsor of the Series, as well as the official airline of the US Open. The Emirates Airline US Open Series is also supported by sponsors American Express, Chase, Citizen Watch Company, Esurance, evian and Gatorade.

Americans Mardy Fish and Serena Williams swept the 2011 Emirates Airline US Open Series men’s and women’s titles. In 2007, Roger Federer collected the biggest paycheck in tennis history – $2.4 million – for winning the US Open and the Emirates Airline US Open Series. In 2005, Kim Clijsters also captured both the US Open and the Series, winning $2.2 million – the largest purse in women’s sports history – and equaled that amount in 2010, winning the US Open and finishing the Emirates Airline US Open Series in second place.

About the ATP
The ATP is the governing body of the men's professional tennis circuits - the ATP World Tour, the ATP Challenger Tour and the ATP Champions Tour. With 62 tournaments in 31 countries, the ATP World Tour showcases the finest male athletes competing in the world's most exciting venues. From Australia to Europe and the Americas to Asia, the stars of the ATP World Tour battle for prestigious titles and South African Airways ATP Rankings points at ATP World Tour Masters 1000, 500 and 250 events, as well as Grand Slams (non ATP events). At the end of the season, only the world's top-eight ranked men's singles players and top-eight doubles teams, based on their performance throughout the year, will qualify to compete for the last title of the season at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Held at The O2 in London, the event will officially crown the 2012 ATP World Tour No. 1 in singles and doubles. For more information, please visit www.ATPWorldTour.com.

About Atlantic Station
A national example for sustainable mixed-use communities, Atlantic Station (www.atlanticstation.com) transformed an abandoned industrial site into a thriving entertainment district at the heart of Atlanta’s vibrant Midtown neighborhood. Opened in 2005, Atlantic Station is home to some of Atlanta’s most popular restaurants, retailers such as H&M and Dillard’s and leading employers such as Wells Fargo and BB&T. Atlantic Station each year hosts dozens of community gatherings, charity walks and neighborhood forums. Susan G. Komen Atlanta Race for the Cure and other events at Atlantic Station have raised more than $50 million for Atlanta charities since 2005. A national leader in consumer engagement and technology, Atlantic Station has the No. 6 most followed Twitter feed among U.S. retail centers.

Visit Atlantic Station on Twitter or on Facebook.