BMW & Mini Named Atlanta Tennis Partners
June 23, 2010
ATLANTA — BMW of North America Southern Region, MINI USA Southern Region and Atlanta Tennis Championships today announced their partnership of the Atlanta Tennis Championships. The Atlanta event, owned and operated by USTA Southern, will serve as the kick-off to the 2010 Olympus US Open Series.
BMW and MINI have had a long-term and fruitful partnership with USTA Southern and are the Presenting Partner of USTA Southern Combo Doubles and the Official Partner of USTA Southern Flex Leagues.
“As BMW Group, we are proud to be part of the reintroduction of professional tennis into arguably one of the country’s largest amateur tennis markets,” Mark Rogers, Regional Business Manager, MINI USA Southern Region. “Our long-standing relationship with the USTA in the South reflects our belief in the alignment of our brands with the performance and grace of the sport of tennis,” Hennie Chung, Regional Marketing Manager, BMW NA Southern Region.
“BMW and MINI have had a years-long and strong relationship with USTA Southern that is now moving to the Atlanta Tennis Championships,” Tournament Director Bill Oakes said. “We are very pleased to keep this bond and move forward to continue in its important role of supporting tennis in the South.”
Taking place from July 19-25, the Atlanta Tennis Championships will feature some of the world’s top ATP players, plus the US Open Men’s National Playoffs Qualifying Tournament.
The Atlanta Tennis Championships will feature a 28-player singles draw and 16-team doubles draw. Three-time ATP titlist Mardy Fish joined committed players John Isner, Marcos Baghditas, Lleyton Hewitt, James Blake and Robby Ginepri in the main singles draw. Concurrently, the men’s winners from 16 US Open National Playoffs Qualifying Tournaments will battle for one spot in the 2010 US Open Qualifying Tournament in Flushing, N.Y.
About the Atlanta Tennis Championships
The Atlanta Athletic Club, Johns Creek, Ga., will be the tournament site. The ATP formally awarded the ATP 250 sanction Atlanta Tennis Championships to the USTA Southern Section in December 2009. The Atlanta event will serve as the kick-off to the 2010 Olympus US Open Series.
Premium tickets are now on sale and daily tickets are now on sale. To order daily tickets by phone, call 866-840-8822. For an order form or other ticket info, call (678) 527-2138 or visit atlantatennischampionships.com.
About the Olympus US Open Series
Now in its seventh season, the Olympus US Open Series has established itself as a true regular season of hard court tennis, linking 10 summer tournaments to the US Open. Fans can follow the action throughout the summer through national television coverage, culminating each week with back-to-back men’s and women’s finals every Sunday afternoon. Players battle for $40 million, including a chance for bonus prize money at the US Open. In 2008, Olympus became the first title sponsor of the Series. The Olympus US Open Series is also supported by sponsors American Express, Evian and Grand Marnier.
Sam Querrey won the 2009 Olympus US Open Series men’s title and Elena Dementieva won the women’s title. In 2007, Roger Federer collected the biggest paycheck in tennis history — $2.4 million — for winning US Open and the Olympus US Open Series. In 2005, Kim Clijsters also captured both the US Open and the Olympus US Open Series, winning $2.2 million — the largest purse in women’s sports history.
About USTA Southern
The USTA is divided into 17 sections, of which USTA Southern is the largest. The 185,000+ USTA members living in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee make up USTA Southern, and account for approximately 25 percent of the total USTA membership. The section owns and operates the Atlanta Tennis Championships, an ATP World Tour 250 tournament. A professional staff housed in Norcross, Ga., carries out USTA Southern’s daily operations, but policy is formed and much of the organization’s work is executed via a board and committee structure of over 200 volunteers. For more information about the types of programs and services offered by USTA Southern, visit southerntennis.com.
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