EVENT
BB&T Atlanta Open
Qualifying Draw: July 19-20. Main Draw: July 21-27. Atlantic Station, 1380 Atlantic Drive N.W., Atlanta. On-site parking, $10. Shuttles will run from the MARTA Arts Center Station; regular MARTA fare applies. Tickets, $10 to $172 (depending on location and session). Weekend packages start at $228, weeklong packages at $375. www.bbtatlantaopen.com.
TV coverage
ESPN and Tennis Channel will cover starting at 4 p.m. July 24 and will run through the singles final on July 27.
A U.S. Open is coming to Atlanta.
Sorry to get your pulse racing, tennis fans. No, the two-week tennis major championship held annually in New York is not relocating to the Atlanta metro area. But this year’s ATP World Tour stop at Atlantic Station will be a “Mini U.S. Open,” in the words of BB&T Atlanta Open tournament director Eddie Gonzalez.
The qualifying tournament is July 19-20, with the Main Draw running July 21-27. There will be singles and doubles matches each day throughout the Main Draw.
Now in its fifth year, the BB&T Atlanta Open, an ATP World Tour 250 event, draws more than 30,000 fans to a cozy temporary tennis stadium on the grounds of Atlantic Station and awards more than $568,000 in prize money to the professional players.
“It’s more than just a tennis tournament; it’s a weeklong celebration of fun,” said Gonzalez, who is in his first year as tournament director. “Plus, we have assembled the best field in the history of the event.”
Gonzalez is a longtime fixture in the Atlanta tennis community. He knows that a metro area that boasts more than 80,000 tennis players — in the Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association (ALTA), USTA Leagues and in starter programs like TGA Premier Youth Tennis — is an educated tennis city with high expectations.
The BB&T Atlanta Open aims to meet those with the return of defending champion and former University of Georgia star John Isner, top French players, an appearance by Herschel Walker, Yacht Rock Revue in concert and kids activities all week long.
Don’t know John Isner from John McEnroe? Gonzalez said the BB&T is perfect for anyone looking to witness professional tennis for the first time.
“Television doesn’t do the sport of professional tennis justice, whether it be John Isner’s 140 mph serve, the style of Gael Monfils or a one-handed backhand like Richard Gasquet.”
Here’s a primer on what to expect:
Atlantic Station
There is no venue setting like Atlantic Station in professional tennis. The sprawling intown mixed-use development offers shops, restaurants and even a movie theater for fans to partake of before, during and after the tennis. This year’s official restaurants — Strip, Atlantic Grill, Rosa Mexicano and Chick-a-Bitty — will be serving food at the tournament as well as at their usual Atlantic Station locations. Participating retailers at Atlantic Station will have a “Spend $10, Get a $10 Gift Card” promotion.
The stadium
Like last year, fans will sit in a stadium constructed by NUSSLI, a Swiss company specializing in temporary stadiums all over the world.
The grandstands will hold 4,000 people and all seats come with a seat back for comfort.
Kids Weekend
The USTA and the BB&T Atlanta Open have never been shy in their efforts to attract children to tennis, and, for the first weekend, kids get in for free, with a paid adult.
USTA 10 and Under Tennis 36-foot courts will be set up in Atlantic Station’s Central Park for free play, and youngsters also can sign up for junior leagues.
Opening/Military Night
With qualifying over, the regular matches start July 21. The night of July 21 is a salute to the U.S. military with the national anthem, Color Guard appearance and the U.S. Army Band from Fort Benning giving a free concert from 6-7 p.m. on the Music Stage.
College Night
University of Georgia great and Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker will do the ceremonial coin toss to kick off College Night before the night match on July 22 and meet with fans. Bulldog fans also can cheer for one of their own, current UGA player Austin Smith, who has been granted a wild-card spot. Current collegians get BOGO tickets by showing their student ID. Everyone is encouraged to wear their school colors on this night.
Yacht Rock Revue
Atlanta-based soft rockers Yacht Rock Revue will perform a free concert on Stadium Court on July 23 following the matches, covering everyone from Hall & Oates to Steely Dan.
Ladies Night
July 24 is Ladies Night, and women can purchase a VIP package ($249) that includes lunch, a clinic with ATP World Tour players and a ticket to the day’s action. Fireworks will illuminate the sky following the night matches.
Champion’s Day
July 27 isn’t just the final day of the BB&T Atlanta Open, the day when champions in singles and doubles will be crowned. It’s also a day when the tournament will honor “champions” from the community, in and out of the world of sports. Organizers have not yet released the names of who will be honored.
John Isner
Former Georgia Bulldog All-American, ATP World Tour top-10 and defending champ John Isner is arguably the most popular and successful player in the BB&T Atlanta Open’s brief history. He also stands 6-foot-10 and bombs serves in excess of 140 mph. Isner saved 11 break points in last year’s final and defeated Kevin Anderson of South Africa.
French invasion
Gonzalez said one of his priorities upon becoming tournament director was to go fishing for new players to spice up the draw. For 2014, he netted a couple of big names in the French duo of Richard Gasquet and Gael Monfils.
Gasquet is a former top-10 player and 10-time champion on the ATP World Tour. Monfils, a former French Open semifinalist, is one of the most athletic and exciting tennis players in the world.
Local flavor
Besides Isner and Smith, there are a handful of other players with local Atlanta ties to support. Atlantic Station resident Donald Young is a top-70 player. Veteran player Robby Ginepri, a Kennesaw resident, has entered the qualifying draw. Qualifying wild cards also have been awarded to Georgia Tech's Nathan Rakitt, a native of Marietta, and Becker O'Shaughnessey of Macon, who plays at the University of Alabama.
