Events: Arizona - Phoenix - Scottsdale

TheAssociation of Tennis Professionals (ATP),the governing body of men’s professional tennis,  announces the 2023Arizona Tennis Classic is returning to PhoenixMonday, March 13 through Sunday, March 19. Taking place at Phoenix Country Club, located at 2901 E. 7^thSt. This year’s event is an ATP Premium Challenger, part of the ATP Tour’s new and elite “Challenger 175” category.

The event benefits Phoenix Children’s Hospital and Serve the Future, which assists youth from underserved local communities through the sport of tennis.

“This new classification has been awarded to only a handful of events worldwide and we are proud that the Arizona Tennis Classic stands alone as the only one in the U.S.,” says Jonathan Levine, founder of the Arizona Tennis Classic. “This year’s event will showcase many of today’s players ranked in the world’s Top 50 along with some of the brightest young talent in the sport. We invite tennis enthusiasts to join us for a week of top-notch competition and entertainment.” Levine adds that total prize money has increased more than 35% — to a Challenger record $220,000.

The 2023 Arizona Tennis Classic’s field features an impressive 20 players currently ranked in the ATP top 70 in the world, six players currently ranked in the ATP top 50, and two ranked in the top 30. Guests can expect to see some of these incredible players including:

Botic van de Zandschulp (No. 34)— top ranked player in this year’s field; defeated Casper Ruud (#5) en route to the final of the 2022 ATP 250 event in Munich; quarterfinalist at the 2021 US Open with career wins over Andre Rublev (#6) and Taylor Fritz (#7).

Sebastian Baez (No. 35) —returning from last year; a recent finalist at the ATP Tour 250 in Cordoba, Argentina

Richard Gasquet (No. 43) —another returning player from last year; a recent winner of Auckland over No. 12 Cameron Norrie in the finals

Jack Draper (No. 44) —just a year ago, Draper was ranked outside the Top 250; he is now among the Top 50

Alexander Bublik(No. 50) —winner of the 2022 title in Montpellier; just days ago in Marseille Bublik broke a 10-match losing streak

Jiri Lehecka—Czech player who reached the final eight of the recent Australian Open, beating No. 12 Cameron Norrie and No. 7 Felix Auger-Aliassime along the way

Wu Yibing —the first male Chinese player to win an ATP Tour title with his recent win of the Dallas Open, defeating John Isner in the final

Kwon Soon-woo —who won the ATP Tour title in Adelaide this year, becoming the first Korean to win multiple tour titles

Since its inception in 1978, competition on the ATP Challenger Tour has been intense, with players fighting for critical ATP Rankings points and prize money. These tournaments give fans the excitement of watching world-class tennis in a more intimate atmosphere. By providing opportunities for emerging stars to develop their talents, it ensures the continued success and growth of professional tennis.

The ATP Challenger Tour has spring boarded the fame of the sport’s most accomplished stars such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick. Every player launches their career at this level, with the goal of rising up the ATP Rankings, competing on the ATP Tour and in Grand Slam tournaments.

The 2023 Arizona Tennis Classic is presented by Arizona Tennis Charities, a 501 ©(3) charitable organization. Each year more than 300 volunteers help to make this annual tournament such a success and directly impact the dollars raised for local charities. To become a volunteer or part of the ball crew, visitarizonatennisclassic.com/volunteersignup.html.

Tickets to attend the various matches throughout the weeklong event range between $15 and $55 and can be purchased viaeventbrite.com/e/2023-arizona-tennis-classic-tickets-513448216437.For more information, visitarizonatennisclassic.com.