APTA Introduces New Grand Prix Series

August 22, 2016

Tennis has the Grand Slam, golf its four majors, and now our sport has the Grand Prix Series that makes its debut this season. The APTA has elevated five tournaments to Grand Prix status in 2015-2016, and each of these events will receive special support from the APTA and extra care from individual tournament directors, helping to entice top- and mid-level players to compete.

Grand Prix Q&A

Here’s what makes these events unique:

Frequency—One event a month, starting in October
Regional diversity—five different regions will host
Exposure—Live Streaming on the APTA Network and national media coverage
Live Scoring
Umpires at all semifinals and finals
Fan-friendliness—elite play can be seen countrywide

In addition, the men’s team that earn the most points over the course of the Grand Prix Series will be awarded the newly established Blanchard Cup named in honor of one of the founders of platform tennis. The women’s team that earn the most points over the course of the Grand Prix Series will be awarded the Childress Cup named in honor of a family dynasty of female platform tennis champions whose reign spanned decades.

Tournament Super Committee Chair Patricio Misitrano explains that this dramatic change to the APTA schedule “makes our sport more visible and more appealing. We get more people involved, and that is how the sport grows.’’

2015-2016 GRAND PRIX SERIES	DATE	REGION/LOCATION
GP-Patterson Women's and Men's Open PCQ/NRT	October 10-11, 2015	REGION II Fairfield, CT
GP-Chicago Charities Men's & Women's PCQ/NRT	November 6-8, 2015	REGION V Chicago, IL
GP-Long Island Invitational Women’s and Men’s PCQ/NRT	December 4-6, 2015	REGION I Long Island, NY
GP-Midwesterns Women's and Men’s PCQ/NRT	January 8-10, 2016	REGION IV Cincinnati, OH
GP-Philadelphia Open Women’s and Men's PCQ/NRT	February 13-15, 2016	REGION III Philadelphia, PA

(More information is available on the APTA tournament calendar and in the upcoming Platform Tennis Magazine.)