USTA Announces Pro Circuit’s US Open Wild Card Challenge

The USTA has announced the launch of the 2015 US Open Wild Card Challenge, which will once again utilize the USTA Pro Circuit to award wild cards into the US Open.

In the US Open Wild Card Challenge, the American man and American woman who earn the most ATP World Tour and WTA ranking points at two of three select USTA Pro Circuit hard-court events this summer will earn main draw wild cards into the US Open. Only Americans who did not earn direct entry into the US Open are eligible.

All tournaments will be streamed live on www.procircuit.usta.com. Tournaments can also be followed on the USTA Pro Circuit’s smartphone app by searching “procircuit” in the app store.

The University of the Pacific $50,000 USTA Pro Circuit Challenger, a new $50,000 USTA Pro Circuit women’s event in Stockton, Calif., kicks off the wild card challenge the week of July 13. The men’s component of the wild card challenge will begin the following week.

The US Open Wild Card Challengewill consist of the following events:

USTA Pro Circuit Women’s Events

• University of the Pacific $50,000 USTA Pro Circuit Challenger, $50,000, Stockton, Calif. (week of July 13)

• FSP Gold River Women’s Challenger, $50,000, Sacramento, Calif. (week of July 20)

• Kentucky Bank Tennis Championships, $50,000, Lexington, Ky. (week of July 27)

USTA Pro Circuit Men’s Events

• Levene Gouldin & Thompson Tennis Challenger, $50,000, Binghamton, N.Y. (week of July 20)

• Kentucky Bank Tennis Championships, $50,000, Lexington, Ky. (week of July 27)

• Comerica Bank Challenger, $100,000, Aptos, Calif. (week of August 10)

The USTA first used this US Open wild card format for its 2012 wild cards, won by Steve Johnson and Mallory Burdette, both of whom reached the third round of the US Open. In 2013, Bradley Klahn and Shelby Rogers earned the wild cards, with Klahn winning his first-round match. And, last year, Nicole Gibbs reached the third round of the US Open (her career-best Grand Slam result), while Wayne Odesnik earned the men’s wild card. The USTA also utilizes this wild card challenge format for the French Open and Australian Open.

The 2015 US Open main draw will be held Monday, Aug. 31, to Sunday, Sept. 13.

Information on the US Open Wild Card Challenge will be available at www.procircuit.usta.com and on Twitter through @USTAProCircuit.

With approximately 90 tournaments hosted annually throughout the country and prize money ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, the USTA Pro Circuit is the pathway to the US Open and tour-level competition for aspiring tennis players and a frequent battleground for established professionals. The USTA launched its Pro Circuit 36 years ago to provide players with the opportunity to gain professional ranking points, and it has since grown to become the largest developmental tennis circuit in the world, offering nearly $3 million in prize money. Last year, more than 1,000 men and women from more than 70 countries competed in cities nationwide. John Isner, Maria Sharapova, Sam Querrey, Sloane Stephens, Kei Nishikori, Victoria Azarenka and Andy Murray are among today's top stars who began their careers on the USTA Pro Circuit. 

The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level – from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization with more than 715,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, the highest-attended annual sporting event in the world, and launched the Emirates Airline US Open Series, linking eight summer tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns approximately 90 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S. and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. The USTA’s philanthropic entity, the USTA Foundation, provides grants and scholarships and helps under-resourced youth and individuals with disabilities, and supports  wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans and their families. For more information on the USTA, log on to usta.com, “like” the official Facebook page, facebook.com/usta, or follow @usta on Twitter.