Philadelphia Tennis Classic Marks WTA’s Return

A new WTA 125 tournament, the Philadelphia Tennis Classic, is coming back to Philadelphia for the first time since 2005. It is scheduled from Aug. 23 to 29 at Penn's Hamlin Tennis Center, one week before the U.S. Open.

Organized by the Philadelphia Sisters and Topnotch Management, the event will feature a 32-player singles draw, doubles, and qualifying rounds. The singles champion will earn $125,000 in prize money and ranking points.

According to a Philadelphia Inquirer report, the WTA will construct a temporary 1,200-seat Center Court at the Hamlin Tennis Center, seating several hundred spectators.

“I started my career in tennis with the WTA and had the opportunity to work across the French Open, Wimbledon, and Filderstadt, so bringing professional women's tennis to Philadelphia is incredibly personal for me,” wrote Alexandra Niedbalski-Sykes, president and co-founder of the Philadelphia Sisters, in a news release shared with the Inquirer. “Unrivaled proved what we already believed: Philadelphia fans are ready to show up for women's sports in a big way. … We're building on that momentum by bringing professional tennis into the mix and giving this city an opportunity to once again show up for women's sports in a big way.”

The Philadelphia Sisters, founded in 2019 by Niedbalski-Sykes, Wanda Sykes, Ashley Lunkenheimer, and Starla Crandall, also led the Unrivaled event in January, which drew a record crowd for women's basketball in Philadelphia.

“The Philadelphia Sisters have done it again, and our city is ready and eager to welcome world-class tennis back home,” Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said in a media statement. “As the world witnessed with Unrivaled, Philly offers an incredible stage to celebrate and elevate the women's game, and the Philadelphia Tennis Classic will bring even more energy, opportunities, and competition to our passionate and vibrant sports scene. Philadelphia will continue to make more and more room for women's professional sports. We are a women's sports town, and we are just getting started.”

Ticket sales for the Philadelphia Tennis Classic will open in May and will be available through the Philadelphia Tennis Classic website. A week of community programs and citywide partnerships is planned before the main event.

The Philadelphia Tennis Classic is one of four WTA 125 tournaments planned in the United States this year.