When the ATP World Tour comes to Newport, R.I. in July for the first stop of the summer season in the United States, the player field will feature a Grand Slam tournament finalist, several players ranked among the world top-50, a group of the world’s brightest young stars, and Newport fan favorites who have seen success on the International Tennis Hall of Fame grass courts previously.
Marcos Baghdatis, a dynamic player from Cyprus who has been ranked as high as world No. 8 and was runner up at the 2006 Australian Open, is set to make his first appearance in Newport. Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis has recently committed to Newport, joining a previously announced group of rising stars in the player field, including Americans Taylor Fritz and Jared Donaldson. The third-highest ranked American Steve Johnson will make his third appearance in Newport, where he was a quarterfinalist in 2014. Defending champion Rajeev Ram will return to Newport, along with last year’s runner up Ivo Karlovic, a big serving pro who is currently ranked world No. 28.
Additional players for the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships are still to be named. The tournament will be played July 10 – 17. Tickets are available now on HallofFameTennisChampionships.
“There is a lot of variety in the player field for this year’s tournament,” commented Tournament Director and Hall of Fame CEO Todd Martin. “I think it will be a great experience for fans to see some amazing young talent competing against some of the tour’s more prolific veteran players like Marcos Baghdatis and Ivo Karlovic.”
He continued, “Also, we’re really working to build an enhanced fan experience in Newport this summer, and that combined with this player field will offer a fantastic week of tennis.”
Fans will enjoy several new amenities at this year’s tournament, notably an entirely new South Grandstand, featuring individual flip down seating rather than the previously used benches. The viewing experience of the tournament will also be significantly enhanced with the addition of videoboards in the stadium and Hawk-Eye replay – an electronic line calling system. Additionally, as a result of the Hall of Fame’s recent expansion and renovation projects, the tournament now has more space to work with and will offer an expanded fan zone featuring a tennis demo court and new on-site dining options.
Special events top off the ATP action, including tennis clinics for both juniors and adults throughout the week, Alex and Ani Ladies Day on Thursday, July 14, and a new event – PowerShares Legends Newport on Sunday, July 17. PowerShares Legends Newport offers a unique opportunity to see tennis legends back in action in a special one-day tournament. The field will feature Andy Roddick, James Blake, Marat Safin, and a fourth player to be named. It’s a particularly special weekend for Safin to compete, as the two-time Grand Slam tournament champion will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on the day prior.
Tickets for the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, as well as the PowerShares event and the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony are on sale now on www.
