WORLD NO 1 AND REIGNING FRENCH OPEN CHAMPION SIMONA HALEP ACCEPTS WILD CARD INTO 2018 CONNECTICUT OPEN

 

WORLD NO 1 AND REIGNING FRENCH OPEN CHAMPION SIMONA HALEP
ACCEPTS WILD CARD INTO 2018 CONNECTICUT OPEN

Four of the Top 10 players in the world confirmed to play in New Haven

Fans using promo code CO18HALEP before July 31^st can buy one ticket, get one free (BOGO)

for Halep’s first match on Tuesday night (August 21) and get 25% off any other session

NEW HAVEN, Conn., July 24, 2018 World No.1 and reigning Roland Garros champion Simona Halep has been awarded a wild card into the 2018 Connecticut Open, it was announced today by Tournament Director Anne Worcester. A WTA Premier event that is part of the US Open Series, the 21^st edition of the tournament will be held August 17-25 at the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale.

2013 Connecticut Open champion Halep returns to New Haven for the fourth time in her career (first time since 2014). Ranked No.23 in the world at the time, she defeated four-time champion Caroline Wozniacki in the semifinals and defending champion Petra Kvitova in the 2013 final.  The Connecticut Open field currently features four of the Top 10 players in the world.

“I am excited to return to Connecticut this summer and am grateful for the opportunity,” said Halep. “I have some happy memories from my title in 2013 and always enjoy playing in front of the fans there. The tournament’s strong field and similar conditions to New York make it a great way to prepare for the US Open so I’m looking forward to being back.”

In conjunction with the announcement, the tournament is running a special promotion through the end of July.  Fans can buy one ticket, get one free (BOGO) any adult-priced, individual session ticket (excluding front row) for Halep’s first match at the Connecticut Open during the night session on Tuesday, August 21 or get 25% off any other session by using code CO18HALEP at ctopen.org/tickets or by calling the tournament box office at 1-855-464-8366.

Halep secured her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros this year, after finishing runner-up in Slam finals on three previous occasions. The French Open title highlights a tremendous 2018 campaign for Halep, who has made the quarterfinals or better at 10 of the 12 events she has played and has reached four finals this year (second behind Kvitova). The Romanian is now 35-9 as World No.1 and since entering the Top 10 in January 2014, holds the longest active streak in the Top 10. 

“Five years ago, Simona won our tournament as an unseeded rising star on the WTA Tour,” said Worcester. “Simona returns this year as the No.1 player in the world and the current French Open champion, which just goes to show that the Connecticut Open showcases not only young, up-and-coming players, but also the best in women’s tennis.”

Halep sits in first place on the Porsche Race to Singapore, with other notable names on the New Haven entry list lying in fourth (Kvitova), seventh (Daria Kasatkina) and 11^th(Julia Goerges).

 The Connecticut Open’s 30-player singles draw currently features 22 players – 20 direct acceptance and two wild cards (American Danielle Collins is the other wild card recipient) – with the direct entry ranking cut-off at No. 35. The tournament still has two wild cards at its disposal with six players advancing from the 48-player qualifying draw completing the field. The top two seeds at the tournament will receive a first-round bye.

Tournament volunteer applications are now open. There are a variety of roles available, including ball persons, in-stadium ushers, player transport, general volunteers and more. Volunteers will receive a free uniform, tickets, meal vouchers, photo credential and parking. Additionally, volunteer time can be used toward community service hours. Ball persons are also needed and tryouts on August 4 & 5, from 9:00-11:30am at the Yale University tennis courts. Please visit ctopen.org/volunteer or email volunteers@ctopen.org, and eligible ball persons please contact ballpersons@ctopen.org.

The media credential application system for the 2018 Connecticut Open is live. Please use the link below to submit your application prior to the August 1st deadline:https://secure.sportssystems.com/events2/?eventKey=42ca7a53-067b-4ef2-8378-413189d3f962 ;

Tickets for the 2018 Connecticut Open are available at CTOpen.org/Tickets or by calling the box office at 1-855-464-8366.  Tickets for Beer Fest at the Connecticut Open on Saturday, August 25 are available at bit.ly/BeerFestatCTO. 

About Connecticut Open

The Connecticut Open is a WTA tournament held at the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale featuring a 30-player singles main draw, a 48-player qualifying draw and a 16-team doubles draw with total prize money of $799,000. The 2017 title was won by Australia’s Daria Gavrilova, who collected her maiden WTA trophy as the tournament celebrated 20 years of women’s tennis in New Haven. Past champions include Steffi Graf, Lindsay Davenport (2 titles), Jennifer Capriati, Venus Williams (4), Justine Henin, Caroline Wozniacki (4) and Petra Kvitova (3). As a not-for-profit 501c3 charitable organization, the Connecticut Open’s mission is to leverage the excitement of world-class women’s tennis to benefit the local community and maximize support for women’s, youth and other causes. The tournament also generates $10+ million in regional economic impact. The Connecticut Open is prominently featured domestically through 50+ hours on ESPN2 and ESPN3 and is also broadcast internationally by WTA Media in 158 countries. In 2017, the global audience reached nearly 12 million viewers. For more details and tickets, visit www.ctopen.org
or call 1-855-464-8366