The Hawaii Open presented by the Hawai'i Tourism Authority, a Women's Tennis Association (WTA) tennis tournament, is preparing to host its first-ever world class tennis tournament held November 20 - November 27 at the Patsy T. Mink Central Oahu Regional Park in Waipahu, HI.
Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki, Shuai Zhang, Nicole Gibbs, Daniela Hantuchova, and other top-ranked WTA players will join rising WTA athletes such as American favorites CiCi Bellis and Ingrid Neel to include a 32-player singles main draw, an 8-player qualifying draw and an 8-team doubles draw.
George D. Szigeti, President and CEO of the Hawai'i Tourism Authority, said, "We're elated to welcome the inaugural Hawaii Open and promise this field of international world-ranked players will enjoy the aloha and enthusiasm that the people of Hawaii have for tennis. We applaud the tournament organizers and WTA for recognizing Hawaii's potential as a host site for world-class tennis and are proud to offer our support."
The Hawaii Open has partnered with local nonprofit Hawaii Foodbank. The tournament will serve as a drop off location for donations throughout the week of Thanksgiving. Military Appreciation Day is Monday, November 21. Free grounds passes will be offered to current and retired service members with a valid military ID. Kid's Day is Tuesday, November 22. Children 12 and under will receive free grounds passes.
Organizers are thrilled to bring WTA tennis to Oahu for the first time. "Given our beautiful venue and the support of our presenting sponsor, the Hawai'i Tourism Authority, we expect it to be a successful event for the whole family to enjoy for years to come," said Ben Goldsmith, Tournament Director of the Hawaii Open.
The Hawaii Open is the only WTA tournament held after the US Open in the United States and the only tournament held during Thanksgiving Week. It is the first WTA tournament held on Oahu.
For more information about The 2016 Hawaii Open and to purchase tickets, visit www.hawaiitennisopen.com
About the WTA: The WTA is the global leader in women's professional sport with more than 2,500 tennis players representing 92 nations competing for a $130 million in prize money. The 2016 WTA competitive season includes 57 events and four Grand Slams in 33 countries. In 2015, The WTA was watched by 395 million fans on television and digital channels around the world. The 2016 WTA competitive season concludes with the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, from October 23-30, 2016 and the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai, China from November 1-6, 2016. Further information on the WTA can be found at www.wtatennis.com; facebook.com/WTA and twitter.com/WTA.
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