USTA/Midwest announced that the Greater Midland Tennis Center in Midland, Mich. will host the US Open National Playoffs USTA/Midwest Sectional Qualifying Tournament, June 12-16, 2015. Earlier this week, the USTA announced the return of the US Open National Playoffs for the sixth year, adding a men’s doubles and women’s doubles component this year. The US Open National Playoffs will still include both men’s and women’s singles, as well as mixed doubles. The USTA created the US Open National Playoffs to expand the footprint of the US Open to cities nationwide by providing the opportunity for all players 14 years of age and older to earn a berth into the US Open.
The US Open National Playoffs men’s and women’s singles champions earn a wild card into the US Open Qualifying Tournament, held the week prior to the US Open. The US Open National Playoffs men’s, women’s and mixed doubles champions receive a wild card into the main draw of the 2015 US Open.
“The Greater Midland Tennis Center and the Great Lakes Bay Region are very pumped to host an event that will give tennis players from around the country the opportunity to vie for a chance to play in the US Open,” said Mike Woody, Executive Director/Vice President at the Greater Midland Tennis Center. “Hosting the US Open National Playoffs event is a winning opportunity – not just from an economic impact, but the exposure it brings to the Midland community, which was named ‘Best Tennis Town in the USA’ in 2009,” he said.
Registration for the 2015 US Open National Playoffs is now open. The National Playoffs website will provide all details regarding registration, rules, schedule and entry fees.
The US Open National Playoffs start out with 14 sectional qualifying tournaments held across the country. The champions or top available finishers in each division from each sectional qualifying tournament advance to the US Open National Playoffs Championship events. The Championships are held in conjuction with the Connecticut Open presented by United Technologies, an Emirates Airline US Open Series held at the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale University in New Haven, Conn.
More than 1,200 players competed in last year's US Open National Playoffs, the greatest number of competitors in the tournament's history. Sanam Singh and Caitlin Whoriskey claimed the men's and women's singles titles, respectively, and then won their opening-round matches in the US Open Qualifying Tournament. Jacqueline Cako and Joel Kielbowicz won the mixed doubles title and played their first-round match at the US Open in front of thousands of spectators on the Grandstand court.
Even celebrities have taken a shot at competing on tennis' biggest stage. Past participants in the US Open National Playoffs include LMFAO frontman Redfoo, Olympic skier Bode Miller and ESPN's Mike Greenberg, who teamed with six-time US Open champion Chris Evert in mixed doubles.
