Some of the top up-and-coming women’s professional tennis players will return to the Central Coast next month as the Templeton Tennis Ranch (“TTR”; ttrtennis.com) once again hosts the Central Coast Pro Tennis Open, a United States Tennis Association (USTA) $60,000 Women’s Pro Circuit event set for Sept. 23 to Sept. 30.
This will be TTR’s second annual USTA Pro Circuit professional event and will attract more than 80 WTA players who are ranked from No. 100 to No. 350 in the world, along with their support teams and families.
Last year’s champion Sachia Vickery.
Local tennis enthusiasts and the general public are invited to enjoy eight days of professional tennis, tournament chairman and host and TTR owner Ralph Goehring recently announced.
The tournament will include a free Kid’s Day; social events; public clinics; a pro-am event, plus a wild card invitational giving local players the opportunity to enter the tournament.
“We are excited to host this prestigious world-class tennis event for the second year here in SLO County,” Goehring said. “Our goal is to elevate the sport of tennis in our region and provide a family-friendly venue to watch pro tennis. Last year’s singles champion, Sachia Vickery, is now ranked 73rd in the world (having come into Templeton ranked No. 127) and we watched her defeat the world-ranked No. 3 player at Indian Wells earlier this year as she continues to rise in the rankings.”
Goehring continued: “Many of the athletes who will compete in Templeton will have just played at the US Open in New York, one of tennis’ most prestigious events and the year’s final Grand Slam. We will certainly attract some top emerging talent.”
The Central Coast Pro Tennis Open is one of 90 USTA Pro Circuit tournaments that take place each year throughout the nation. These tournaments provide a pathway for aspiring tennis players to earn valuable ATP and WTA world-ranking points, and get into larger tournaments, including the four Grand Slams: Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open.
The USTA is excited to partner with Templeton Tennis Ranch for a second year in bringing professional tennis to California’s Central Coast,” said Megan Rose, Senior Director of the USTA Pro Circuit. “This tournament was well received by the local community last year and we hope more people will enjoy the action this year. The USTA Pro Circuit is the largest developmental tennis tour in the world, and one of our goals is to pair pro tennis with communities that welcome professional athletes in their journey to the top. We know that the athletes enjoyed the outstanding facility at TTR and the beautiful Central Coast region last year and we expect some excellent tennis again this year.”
Goehring noted that an event like this will certainly bring hundreds of visitors to the region. He added that it takes a community to put on an event of this magnitude. He invites businesses, organizations and individuals to help with lodging, hospitality, refreshments, transportation and more for the competitors. Additionally, the tournament allows for local kids and adults to be on-court to retrieve balls for the players during matches. So far, Tennis Warehouse, KJons Jewelers, Tiebreaker Brewing Company, Vacasa, Medina Light Show Designs, ESPN Radio, Maserati Alfa Romeo of Bakersfield, Tolusa Wines, SoCal Tennis Association and Simply Clear Marketing & Media have signed on as key sponsors, but more are needed.
“This tournament put the Central Coast on the world tennis map, and it is our honor and privilege to again host this tournament,” Goehring said. “Our hope is that this inspires our local tennis enthusiasts to come together while introducing our greater community to the attributes of this wonderful, health-driven, lifelong sport.”