WINSTON-SALEM — As the latest Winston-Salem Open kicks off this weekend at the Wake Forest University Tennis Complex, local tennis fans in Triad will be treated to watching some of the top professional men’s tennis players in the world.
This year’s open — set for Aug. 17-24 — includes 35 players inside the top 75 of the ATP 2024 world rankings, as well as 15 ranked inside the top 50.
Since 2011, the award-winning ATP World Tour 250 event has served as the final men’s tournament prior to the US Open, hosting a 48-player draw in singles and 16 teams in doubles, with prize money totaling more than $700,000.
The tournament was previously staged in New Haven and known as Pilot Pen Tennis before it was sold and relocated to Winston-Salem, creating a new event.
“Imagine being among the 75 best people in the world at your job. That’s what we will have on display next month at the Winston-Salem Open,” tournament director Jeff Ryan said in a press release. “Some of the absolute best athletes in the world will be here, and it really is going to be an incredible experience.”
Returning to defend their 2023 Winston-Salem Open titles, Argentinian singles winner Sebastian Baez (No. 20) and American doubles champions Nathaniel Lammons (No. 28) and Jackson Withrow (No. 28) will each be back in town to compete.
“It’s great to see both our singles and doubles champions returning to Winston-Salem,” Ryan said. “I think it’s a testament to the strength of our staff, our facilities and our volunteers. This is an easy place to navigate around. The people are friendly. The atmosphere is great, and the courts are so similar to those in New York, that our players have the perfect opportunity to get primed for this last major of the year.”
Marcos Giron (No. 45), Brandon Nakashima (No. 49), and Alex Michelsen (No. 57) are the three players in the singles field who will represent the United States.
The singles field will also be highlighted by Arthur Fils (No. 23), Jack Draper (No. 27), Adrian Mannarino (No. 33), Luciano Darderi (No. 34), Tomas Martin Etcheverry (No. 37), and Mariano Navone (No. 38).
Joining Lammons and Withrow, Rajeev Ram (No. 5) and Austin Krajicek (No. 15) are the two other Americans in the doubles field.
On Aug. 3, Ram and Krajicek came away from the 2024 Paris Olympics with the silver medal in men’s tennis doubles as Team USA fell short to Australia’s Matthew Ebden and John Peers.
In Winston-Salem, Ram will pair with Joe Salisbury (No. 6) of Great Britain and likely enter as the top seed, continuing a duo that has claimed 14 titles together dating back to 2019.
Krajicek is set to team up with former Winston-Salem Open champion Jean-Julien Rojer (No. 29) of the Netherlands as the two look to achieve their first title together.
The doubles field also includes Mate Pavic (No. 7), Marcelo Arevalo (No. 8), Michael Venus (No. 11), Harri Heliovaara (No. 12), and Austin Krajicek (No. 15).
The Winston-Salem Open will also feature a return to the Wake Forest University Tennis Complex after six years for Italian Matteo Berrettini (No. 42), who is on the comeback trail from hand surgery. The 28-year-old rose to No. 6 in the world in early 2022 and is now improving through the ranks again as he leaves his injury in the rearview.
Reflecting on the current state of the pro tennis world, Ryan said that an event like the Winston-Salem Open is a prime opportunity for a player on the rise to gain experience and a resume to build upon.
“It can be a tough sell, we know, because people want to hear all the big names and that’s what they know.”
While a casual fan of the sport might not recognize some of the event participants, a future star in the making could have a strong showing at the North Carolina tournament.
Ryan continued: “We are kind of going through a changing of the guard right now — with icons like Roger, Rafa and Andy retiring — but it’s important to note Winston-Salem has been a springboard for some of the sport’s best. In fact, 11 of the top 15 guys in the current rankings have come through or even won here. So, the big question now is, ‘Who will be next?’”
