When pro tennis restarts in the U.S., Lexington will be tour’s first stop

Two days after Lexington’s annual professional tennis tournament was canceled because of COVID-19, a new event has emerged to quench the city’s thirst for the game.

The Women’s Tennis Association revealed plans for a new tournament that will serve as the first WTA event in the United States since the start of the pandemic.

The Top Seed Open, to be played at Lexington’s Top Seed Tennis Club from Aug. 10-17, will feature singles and doubles action, offering more than $225,000 in prize money to players. A field of players for the tournament has not yet been announced.

The Kentucky Bank Tennis Championships, a pro tournament with men’s and women’s divisions, has been held in Lexington for the past 28 years. This year’s event, scheduled for Aug. 3-9 at the University of Kentucky, was canceled this week.

The new event in Lexington will be the first WTA tournament played in the U.S. since the Oracle Challenger Series took place March 2-8 at Indian Wells, Calif. The following week’s tournament was canceled because of the pandemic and no events have been played since.

The men’s ATP Tour is scheduled to restart Aug. 14-21 with the Citi Open in Washington, D.C.

Top Seed Open tournament director Jonathan Sanders said his event is working with Bluegrass Orthopaedics Medical facility and Labtox Labs to follow the WTA’s health and safety protocols. As yet, no determination has been made about whether spectators will be allowed to attend.

“I am truly excited to host the return to WTA tennis at Top Seed Club in Kentucky,” Sanders said in a news release. “At Top Seed, we are committed to the growth of the game at every level from grass roots to pro tennis, and so when I was given the opportunity to bring a WTA International to Lexington, I jumped at it.”

The newly constructed Top Seed Tennis Club, located just outside Man o’ War Boulevard at 777 E. Brannon Road, is home to tennis tournaments of all levels. The grounds include 12 indoor and nine outdoor courts, a 4,000 square foot gym and yoga studio, player lounges and fully equipped locker rooms, and a full-service bar and lounge, among other amenities.

This story was originally published July 9, 2020 at 1:37 PM.