The New Haven Open at Yale Tickets
The New Haven Open at Yale, a First Niagara sponsored tournament, has gone through a series of changes during its time as a tournament. What was once a joint tournament played by both men and women’s players, has now transformed into a women’s only event, that has been bringing top names in the sport to New Haven, Connecticut to compete for the tournament’s coveted cash prize. The tournament was one part of the ATP World Tour as well as the WTA Premier Tournaments, and is now officially only a WTA Premier Tournament event.
Every year, the event is held at the Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center in New Haven, near Yale University, and is held right before the fourth and final event in the Grand Slam, the US Open. The tournament is styled in a similar fashion to the US Open, which is currently the biggest tennis tournament in the sport, as it is played outdoors on a DecoTurf surface. This surface is infamous for being one of the fastest and hardest surfaces to play on which traditionally makes matches much quicker than they normally are.
The tournament was first established back in 1948 as the U.S. Women’s Hardcourt Championship and was held in Sacramento, California. After several location changes and the addition of a men’s division, the tournament settled at Yale in New Haven. The event also was temporarily discontinued in 1969 with the starting of the Open Era, giving it a special place in tennis history. However, it is not the tournament’s historical significance that has been bringing fans of the game in, it is the high action play that the tournament is known for. With both singles and doubles brackets in place, the week long Connecticut event has plenty of tennis action for fans to enjoy.
The August tennis tournament not only features exciting rounds of play, but other events including Kids Days, the New Haven Food and Wine Festival and other special weekday events, that make the experience a must- for fans of the sport. Whether looking to see some of the top women’s players compete in head to head competition or to experience the tennis-centered festivities held during the event, the New Haven Open at Yale truly has something for everyone.
