Where Did the U.S. Tennis Summer Go? A Shrinking ATP and WTA Tour Calendar

The North American Hard Court Swing Begins

The commencement of the ATP/WTA Mubadala Citi DC Open begins the North American summer hard court series in the lead up to the final Grand Slam of the year, the US Open. The following week, both tours will head to Canada for a two week Masters level tournament, Cincinnati will follow, before a week in Winston-Salem for the ATP, and the WTA will split between Cleveland and Monterrey, Mexico.

While this is a full calendar of tennis, the tours switch to two-week Masters series events, and various changes in tournament licensing and scheduling has resulted in a reduction of U.S. based events over the summer months. The extension of the Masters tournaments has also impacted the entry lists for these events, with a number of top players already opting out of the Canadian stops.

ATP/WTA Tour Calendar Changes and Their Impact

With smaller tournaments in the US having lost their license entirely, or being downgraded in the case of the grass court champions at the Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, it’s a very different summer tennis calendar than the one that many fans grew up with. How will these calendar changes impact the broad popularity and relevance of tennis in the United States? Likely not for the better.

While the tier 1 Masters tournaments in Miami, Indian Wells, and Cincinnati are still attracting large crowds, a reduced in the geographic diversity of pro tennis in the United States makes it harder for the sport to break into local media markets. The (now Challenger Tour) Hall of Fame Open in Newport made global headlines this month, when billionaire Wall Street investor Bill Ackman was granted a wild card to play doubles with former pro Jack Sock. Ackman, an amateur tennis player, played remarkably poorly, and the tournament was accused of corruption in granting him the wild card. Despite a fantastic venue in Newport, Rhode Island at the Tennis Hall of Fame, the grass court tournament has shrunk in relevance, as it never quite fit into the calendar after Wimbledon, and the tournament is struggling financially.

Disappearing Pro Tournaments Across the US

Despite having the largest amateur tennis community in the country, the ATP Atlanta event came to an end in 2024. Previously, this event was held in Indianapolis. ATP Winston-Salem in North Carolina continues to represent the U.S. southern region on tour, while the WTA New Haven event near New York City also came to an end some years ago. The sunny state of California is the one that has lost the most pro tennis, with the Indian Wells tournament still standing strong, but San Diego, Stanford, and Los Angeles losing their tournaments over the years. With the Los Angeles event considered to be a historic part of the tour. Pro tennis will return to Los Angeles when the city hosts the Olympics once again in 2028.

Despite the star power, and economic scale of Los Angeles, it’s been over a decade since the city hosted an official tour level tournament. Meanwhile, an hour south in San Diego, a world class city with some of the best weather in the world, the San Diego Open found itself downgraded due to budget cuts. Northern California is also lacking pro tennis despite the economic power and size of the San Francisco Bay area. Other cities lacking sanctioned ATP or WTA Tour events include growing cities like Las Vegas and Phoenix on the west coast, and major US Cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, and Boston. The past and existing US summer events have also struggled to attract crowds during daytime matches, and many venues are played in the outdoor heat that makes matches difficult to watch from the stadium seats, and creates grueling conditions for players, while rain outs have lead to disrupted schedules and late nights.

US Player Development Still Thrives

The USTA has continued to be able to develop top tennis talent, with the NCAA college and junior development systems producing talented players. Four American men are in the ATP top 20, Taylor Fritz leads the pack, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, and Tommy Paul also make the list. Five American women are in the current top 20, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Amanda Anisimova, and Madison Keys are top 10 players, while Emma Navarro sits at #11. Keys and Gauff both won Grand Slam titles in 2025, while American men have been in a slam drought since Andy Roddick at the 2003 US Open. Taylor Fritz is a defending US Open finalist.

Challenges from Other Sports Empires

Despite that success, less diversity in tournaments means fewer wild cards given to US or NCAA based talent, and a crowded media environment that sees global leagues looking to break into the US market, like FIFA’s Club World Cup, and the Premier League, Formula 1, which caters to a similar high society audience as professional tennis, all make it harder for tennis to break through with the general public. The sports media rights in the United States are mostly buried behind the premium cable channel Tennis Channel, although TNT added the rights to the French Open, and ESPN continues to cover the other three Grand Slams, including the US Open.

Tennis also lags behind established North American sports, with leagues like the NBA and MLS direct competition, and when it comes to women’s sports, the WNBA is competing for dollars and interest with the WTA Tour.

Growing the Game in the US Market

While tennis is a globally popular sport, with Europe and Asia, and now the Middle East a major part of revenue for both tours, the United States sports consumer market is still the world’s largest. Two-week Masters series events are already getting criticism, but ultimately, the ATP and WTA Tour needs to decide if reducing the amount of smaller satellite tournaments at the 250 level are worth it, and if concentrating on Masters events is really how to grow the game. The ATP and WTA Tours are missing significant opportunities to make headlines in Major US Media markets and potentially build meaningful partnerships and relationships with major US corporations, and the world of entertainment and sports. These cross-branding opportunities could help grow the game with new audiences, as the US Open continues to attract world famous celebrities.

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