USTA Pro Circuit US Open Wild Card Challenge Begins This Week

The USTA announced the launch of the 2014 US Open Wild Card Challenge that utilizes 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 Tour ranking points at two of three (for women) and two of four (for men) selected USTA Pro Circuit hard-court events 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.

The US Open Wild Card Challenge will consist of the following events:

USTA Pro Circuit Women’s Events
FSP Gold River Women’s Challenger, $50,000 Sacramento, Calif. (week of July 7)
USTA Player Development Women’s $50,000 Classic, Carson, Calif. (week of July 14)
Kentucky Bank Tennis Championships, $50,000 Lexington, Ky. (week of July 21)

USTA Pro Circuit Men’s Events
Levene Gouldin & Thompson Tennis Challenger, $50,000 Binghamton, N.Y. (week of July 14)
Kentucky Bank Tennis Championships, $50,000 Lexington, Ky. (week of July 21)
Odlum Brown VanOpen, $100,000 Vancouver, Canada (week of July 28)
Comerica Bank Challenger, $100,000 Aptos, Calif. (week of August 4)

The USTA first used this US Open wild card format for its 2012 wild cards, won by Steve Johnson and Mallory Burdette, who both reached the third round of the US Open, as well as the 2013 US Open, which was won by Bradley Klahn, who won his first round match, and Shelby Rogers. The USTA also utilizes this format for the French Open through the Har-Tru USTA Pro Circuit Wild Card Challenge, where this year’s women’s winner Taylor Townsend was a top story at Roland Garros by reaching the third round. Veteran Robby Ginepri won the 2014 men’s French Open wild card.

The 2014 US Open main draw will be held Monday, August 25, to Monday, September 8.

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 $10,000to $100,000, the USTA Pro Circuit is the pathway to the US Open and tour-level competition for aspiringtennis players and a frequent battleground for established professionals. Celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2014, the USTA Pro Circuit provides players with the opportunity to gain professional ranking points, and it has sincegrown 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 citiesnationwide. Mardy Fish, Maria Sharapova, John Isner, Sloane Stephens, Sam Querrey, Victoria Azarenka and Andy Murray are among today’s top stars who began their careers on the USTA Pro Circuit.