2021 Volvo Car Open

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6 Grand Slam Champs, 3 Former #1 Players Highlight @VolvoCarOpen Player Field

Posted by Admin on March 10, 2021
Posted in: Charleston, Volvo Car Open, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment


6 Grand Slam Champs, 3 Former #1 Players Highlight @VolvoCarOpen Player Field

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Volvo Car Open, to be held without fans April 3 – 11 on Daniel Island in Charleston, SC, has announced its preliminary player field for the 2021 tournament. The field for the premier women’s-only professional tennis tournament in North America is led by World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty and features some of the top players in the world.

The Volvo Car Open’s 56-player draw is made up of 43 direct entries into the tournament, five wild cards and eight qualifiers. Kim Clijsters has already accepted a wild card for the event. Four additional players will join the main draw via wild card entry, to be announced at a later date.

“The world of live sporting events has had to make many difficult decisions over the past year,” said Bob Moran, Tournament Director for the Volvo Car Open. “We wish we could host a stadium full of fans in 2021 to appreciate the world-class talent represented in our player field, from WTA’s top-ranked Ashleigh Barty and our defending champion Madison Keys, to next generation tennis stars like Sofia Kenin and Coco Gauff. We are grateful that our broadcast partner Tennis Channel will air first ball to last ball main draw matches, providing our fans with more than 70 hours of live tennis and an opportunity to watch the powerful and entertaining competition on our courts this year. We look forward to getting back to normal in 2022 with a newly renovated stadium and celebrating 50 years of professional women’s tennis.”

Highlights from the main draw include:

  • 21 countries represented in the international player field, including 10 Americans
  • Three past Volvo Car Open champions: Madison Keys (2019), Kiki Bertens (2018) and Sloane Stephens (2016)
  • Six Grand Slam champions: Sofia Kenin (2020 Australian Open), Ashleigh Barty (2019 French Open), Garbiñe Muguruza (2016 French Open and ‘17 Wimbledon), Sloane Stephens (2017 US Open), Jelena Ostapenko (2017 French Open) and Kim Clijsters (2005, ‘09 & ‘10 US Open and ‘11 Australian Open)
  • Three Former World No. 1 Ranked Players: Ashleigh Barty (current), Garbiñe Muguruza and Kim Clijsters
  • Debut player field appearance by Coco Gauff and Kim Clijsters
  • Charleston native Shelby Rogers to compete in hometown tournament again

At the top of the Volvo Car Open player field is current World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty. The 2021 Volvo Car Open will mark the Australian’s second time playing in Charleston. She has held the top WTA singles ranking for the past two seasons, stemming from winning her first Premier Mandatory title at the Miami Open, her first Grand Slam title at the French Open and her first WTA Finals title.

American Sofia Kenin celebrated her first Top 10 season in 2020. She earned her first Grand  Slam title at the 2020 Australian Open and ended the year as World No. 4. The 2021 Volvo Car Open will be the 22-year-old’s fourth time competing in Charleston.

2018 Volvo Car Open champion Kiki Bertens will play the Volvo Car Open for the fifth time. The Dutch player finished 2020 in the top 10 for the third year in a row and has amassed 10 career WTA titles.

Rounding out the top-four in Charleston’s player field is Garbiñe Muguruza. Since her last appearance at the Volvo Car Open in 2013, the Spanish player has captured seven career titles, including the 2017 Wimbledon and 2016 Roland-Garros titles, and reached the World No. 1 ranking.

Current Volvo Car Open champion Madison Keys will also return two years later to defend her title. Keys defeated Caroline Wozniacki in the 2019 Volvo Car Open final to capture her fourth career WTA title and her first on clay.

The 2021 Volvo Car Open will be held without fans due to the ongoing pandemic. The tournament has partnered with the WTA and the Medical University of South Carolina to develop its health and safety protocols for the event, which will allow the team to create a safe atmosphere for players, essential staff and operational partners. Both Tennis Channel and WTA Media have agreed to broadcast the 2021 Volvo Car Open, providing a full week of coverage and more than 70+ hours of live tennis for fans both in the U.S. and abroad.

The Volvo Car Open was canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Since 1973, the tournament has been a pioneer in women’s professional sports, paving the path for female tennis players to receive equal recognition, respect and pay in the sport. Originally held on Hilton Head Island, the event moved to Charleston in 2001 and is now played on Daniel Island at the LTP Daniel Island tennis center, home to the Volvo Car Stadium.

Charleston Tennis, LLC, which manages the Volvo Car Stadium under a lease from the City of Charleston, recently announced plans to renovate and modernize the 20-year-old Volvo Car Stadium. The city-owned facility will undergo upgrades to enhance the stadium experience for patrons, performers, tennis players and event management, allowing the venue to attract world-class athletes and talent to Daniel Island.

For more information on the Volvo Car Open, visit volvocaropen.com or call 843.856.7900.

—A. Alpino, Volvo Car Open

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Even Without Fans in the Stands, 2021 @VolvoCarOpen Should Be One to Remember

Posted by Admin on February 4, 2021
Posted in: Charleston, Volvo Car Open, WTA. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment
Better Times

VOLVO CAR OPEN TO BE CONDUCTED WITHOUT FANS

Tournament to be held as made-for-TV event, April 3 – 11, 2021

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Volvo Car Open, the premier women’s-only professional tennis tournament in North America, will be held as scheduled, April 3-11, 2021, in Charleston, SC without fans. With public health and safety as the event’s top priority, the tournament will forgo its traditional on site fan environment to create a made-for-TV tennis event instead. This change will allow the Volvo Car Open to still operate in 2021, providing tennis players an opportunity to compete and earn a living and offering fans a unique and engaging broadcast experience they can enjoy from home.  

The tournament reached this decision after closely monitoring the rise in COVID-19 cases and consulting with local government and health officials. Ticket holders will receive communication from the Volvo Car Open’s ticketing department on processing ticket refunds.

“After much deliberation, our team has made the difficult but necessary decision to host the 2021 Volvo Car Open without fans,” said Bob Moran, Volvo Car Open Tournament Director. “We delayed this decision as long as we possibly could in hopes that the end result may be different. But, in order to successfully execute a fan experience that complies with all guidelines and requirements given by local government and health officials, we would need to begin building our event facilities this week. Unfortunately, with the ongoing high positivity numbers and the potential of unknown restrictions on travel to the U.S., we have concluded that the creation of a made-for-TV tournament is the best possible outcome for the 2021 Volvo Car Open.”

Both Tennis Channel and WTA Media have agreed to broadcast the 2021 Volvo Car Open, providing a full week of coverage for fans both in the U.S. and abroad.

The tournament is actively working in partnership with the WTA and the Medical University of South Carolina on the development of health and safety protocols for the event, which will allow the team to create a safe atmosphere for players, essential staff and operational partners.

The Volvo Car Open was canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Since 1973, the tournament has been a pioneer in women’s professional sports, paving the path for female tennis players to receive equal recognition, respect and pay in the industry. Originally held on Hilton Head Island, the event moved to Charleston in 2001 and is now played on Daniel Island at the LTP Daniel Island tennis center, home to the Volvo Car Stadium.

Charleston Tennis, LLC, which manages the Volvo Car Stadium under a lease from the City of Charleston, recently announced plans to renovate and modernize the 20-year-old Volvo Car Stadium. The city-owned facility will undergo upgrades to enhance the stadium experience for patrons, performers, tennis players and event management, allowing the venue to attract world-class athletes and talent to Daniel Island.

Fanny Stollar, 2018 Volvo Car Open

“Although we are disappointed by our recent event updates, we are already looking ahead to the future”, said Moran. “We are making great progress with the Volvo Car Stadium renovations and are excited to unveil this reimagined space at the celebration of our 50th tennis event in 2022. Our upgraded venue will continue to provide unforgettable entertainment experiences with new state-of-the-art features and elevated patron services.”

For more information on the Volvo Car Open, visit volvocaropen.com or call 843.856.7900.

Who Says You Can’t Do The Charleston in 2020? Women’s Tennis Resumes Next Week With @CreditOneBank Invitational #Tennisisback

Posted by Admin on June 17, 2020
Posted in: Charleston, Volvo Car Open. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
Who Says You Can’t Do The Charleston in 2020? Women’s Tennis Resumes Next Week With @CreditOneBank Invitational
CREDIT ONE BANK INVITATIONAL ANNOUNCES MATCH SCHEDULE, SCORING AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS
Tournament will receive live coverage on Tennis Channel June 23 – 28 daily at 4pm EST
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Competitive professional tennis returns to Charleston, SC next week with the new Credit One Bank Invitational, contested June 23 – 28 at LTP Daniel Island. The 16-player team event will receive more than 40 hours of live coverage on Tennis Channel and raise funds for frontline healthcare workers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC).

The public has played an important role in MUSC’s response to the pandemic. To date, community donations have supported testing, medical research and relief for MUSC healthcare workers experiencing financial hardships due to the virus. Throughout the tournament, viewers wishing to support these efforts can make gifts online at give.musc.edu/CreditOneBank.

Sloane Stephens, 2018 US Open (Getty)

Sloane Stephens  (Photo credit:KENA BETANCUR/AFP/Getty Images)

The tournament will kick off on Tennis Channel on June 22 at 8pm EST with the Credit One Bank Invitational draft with team captains, Madison Keys (Team Kindness) and Bethanie Mattek-Sands (Team Peace). The captain who wins the coin toss, happening at a media online press conference earlier in the week, will have first draft pick, then the captains will alternate until all selections have been made. Tennis Channel will air each player’s profile during the draft with information on their Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) for singles and doubles. Results from the tournament will be counted towards each player’s individual UTR.

Tennis Channel will air live coverage of the Credit One Bank Invitational every day at 4pm EST from June 23 – June 28.

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“We are excited to support the Credit One Bank Invitational and its exciting team format with Universal Tennis’ innovative tools and technology,” said Mark Leschly, Universal Tennis Chairman & CEO. “When matches count for UTR, local play has a global impact. Every tennis player in the world, from the pros in Charleston to recreational players, can view their rating, monitor their competitive ability and register for events on MyUTR.com for free.”

Sofia Kenin, Charleston 2017 (TennisAtlantic.com)

The Credit One Bank Invitational’s player field includes reigning Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin as well as Keys, Mattek-Sands, Sloane Stephens, Victoria Azarenka, Amanda Anisimova, Monica Puig, Ajla Tomljanovic, Danielle Collins, Alison Riske, Shelby Rogers, Genie Bouchard, Jennifer Brady, Leylah Fernandez, Emma Navarro and Caroline Dolehide. Bianca Andreescu was originally slated to play in the tournament, but has withdrawn from the event. Dolehide has taken her place in the field.

The event has worked closely with MUSC throughout the planning process to ensure a secure environment for all players and staff. MUSC developed the event’s official health and safety protocol plan, and their ‘Back to Work’ team established the tournament’s health guidelines, which include: on-site testing, daily temperature tests and health questionnaires, sanitizing equipment at high touch areas and mandatory face masks for all personnel. Housing for players will also be located within walking distance of the stadium.

To maintain social distancing guidelines, each competitor will have her own lounge around the stadium, where she can cheer on her teammates. Tennis Channel will air behind-the-scenes content filmed by players throughout the tournament and check-in with players in their lounges during the broadcast for updates.

On court, players will call their own lines and the tournament will only use one official. Two ball crew members will wear gloves and use equipment to avoid touching the tennis balls. Players will be responsible for handling their own towels and refreshments.

The tournament will be conducted without fans and media. It is currently the largest-scale tennis event to be confirmed since the sport went on hiatus to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The Credit One Bank Invitational is part of Tennis Channel’s Re(Open) Tour, a series of events and exhibitions taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic.