Connecticut Open Tennis Tournament Leaving the State

NEW HAVEN, CT — More than two decades of women's professional tennis excitement in New Haven has come to an end, with the announcement Friday that the Connecticut Open tournament has been sold to Asian interests.

In the five months since the conclusion of the 2018 event, the Tennis Foundation of Connecticut (TFC) Board conducted an extensive analysis of the financial model of the tournament and deemed it not viable without a title sponsor. Following an unsuccessful title sponsor search, the board decided to sell the Premier WTA sanction to APG, a leading sports and entertainment company with a strong footprint in Asia., according to a statement posted on the tournament web site, www.ctopen.org.

The tournament will take place in Zhengzhou City, China, running from Sept. 9-15, 2019.

Ranked as the third best attended women’s-only WTA tournament in 2018 and a not-for-profit 501c3 charitable organization, the Connecticut Open has generated more than $10 million annually in economic impact for the city of New Haven and state of Connecticut, and provides significant philanthropic support for local organizations, as well as attracting the top female players from around the globe to New Haven the week before the U.S. Open, according to the statement.

“It has been an amazing 21-year run for women’s professional tennis in New Haven and we are truly grateful to all the fans, volunteers, players, media and sponsors involved,” said tournament director Anne Worcester. “While we remember our great champions, we are most proud of the benefits the tournament has brought to the local community. In particular we would like to thank the state of Connecticut, city of New Haven, Board of Alders, Yale University, Yale-New Haven Health, WTA, USTA and USTA New England, all of whom have supported and contributed to the Connecticut Open for more than two decades. We have many memories to cherish both on and off the court.”

Since moving to New Haven from Stone Mountain, Ga. in 1998, the tournament has boasted several world-class winners. Tennis Hall of Famer Steffi Graf, a 22-time Grand Slam singles champion, captured the first event held in the Elm City, while Venus Williams, a 21-time Grand Slam champion (seven singles, 14 doubles) was victorious four straight years, from 1999 to 2002. Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, formerly ranked No. 1 in the world, won four straight titles from 2008 through 2011, while Czech Petra Kvitová, a two-time Wimbledon singles champion, won the event three times in 2012, 2014 and 2015.

“The Connecticut Open was always one of my favorite tournaments and continued to get better every year," said Kvitová, currently ranked second in the world. "On behalf of the players, I would like to thank Anne Worcester, the city of New Haven, Yale and most important the fans who came to watch us, who supported us through the years and who made us feel welcome in their beautiful city.”

Photo courtesy of Yale University

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