Next month’s tennis tournament in Kentucky featuring Serena Williams on TV globally
Some of the most famous faces in professional tennis will battle it out in Central Kentucky next month and though spectators will not be allowed at the event, there’s still an opportunity to witness all the action.
Top Seed Tennis Club in Nicholasville is set to host the 2020 Top Seed Open from Aug. 10-16. It will be the first professional tennis tournament played in the United States since the coronavirus pandemic upended sports competition beginning in March.
Tickets will not be sold to the general public and spectators will not be allowed at the Top Seed Open because of ongoing concerns surrounding the pandemic, but on Friday organizers announced that the tournament will be televised around the world on the Tennis Channel, with the first broadcast scheduled for Aug. 10 at 11:30 a.m.
In its inaugural year as a Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) event, the Top Seed Open will serve as a warm-up to the Western & Southern Open — which will be staged in New York City Aug. 20-28 — and the U.S. Open — which will also be played in New York City Aug. 31-Sept. 13.
The Top Seed Open will feature a 32-player singles draw and a 16-player doubles field and a prize money pool of $225,000. The singles field is led by 23-time Grand Slam tournament winner Serena Williams, who is currently ranked No. 9 in the world. Her sister, Venus Williams (No. 67), winner of seven Grand Slam titles, will also compete in the tournament.
Also among the field are 2017 U.S. Open Champion Sloane Stephens (No. 37), two-time Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka (No. 58) and Garbine Muguruza (No. 16), who won the 2016 French Open and 2017 Wimbledon Championship. The full field and pairings will be announced at a later date.
“We’re thrilled to have an incredible field of all-stars competing in this year’s event,” Top Seed Tournament Director Jonathan Sanders said in a press release. “We are eager for the return of professional tennis in the United States, and are looking forward to hosting a world-class tournament.”
The Top Seed Open will be the first WTA tournament played in America since the Oracle Challenger Series on March 2-8. The following week’s WTA tournament was canceled because of the pandemic and none have been played since.
