ESPN Tennis: US Open Series Begins Monday on ESPN2, WatchESPN

July 13, 2016

Road to US Open: 70 Hours on ESPN2, Eight Championships – Four ATP, Four WTA
Points System Rewards Top Players at US Open

Tennis’ Emirates Airline US Open Series – seven hard-court events (three ATP, three WTA, one combined) across North America in five weeks – begins Monday, July 18, with the WTA Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, Calif. ESPN2 will provide 70 hours of coverage over the seven events, with extensive WatchESPN coverage as well.

A points system rewards the men and women who finish in the top three for the USOS with a bonus based on their performance in the US Open. If the USOS winner also is the US Open champion, they receive a bonus of $1,000,000. ESPN’s exclusive coverage of the US Open begins Monday, August 29.

Click here for the full US Open Series schedule on ESPN MediaZone.

WEEK ONE
WTA Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, Calif.

WatchESPN with 46 hours, ESPN2 with six including the championship Sunday, July 24, at 5 p.m. ET
Preview: Venus Williams will make her 13th appearance in Stanford, looking to win her third Bank of the West Classic title (2000 and 2002).

*Player participation subject to change

WEEK TWO
ATP / WTA Rogers Cup, Toronto (men), Montreal (women)

ESPN2 and WatchESPN with 22 hours including the championships Sunday, July 31, at 1 p.m. (WTA) and 4 p.m. (ATP)
ATP Preview: Toronto is a Masters 1000 event on the ATP World Tour, so all of the Top 43-ranked men’s players will be present. World No. 1 Novak Djokovic headlines the players’ field in Toronto, alongside defending champion and recent Wimbledon champion Andy Murray and past winners Roger Federer (2004, 2006), Rafael Nadal (2005, 2008, 2013) and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (2014)
WTA Preview: In Montreal, World No. 1 and recent Wimbledon champion Serena Williams will attempt her fourth Rogers Cup victory in a field that features 30 of the Top 35-ranked players and nine of the Top-10, including defending champion Belinda Bencic and past winners Agnieszka Radwanska (2014), Petra Kvitova (2012), and Caroline Wozniacki (2010).

WEEK THREE
ATP BB&T Atlanta Open, Atlanta

WatchESPN with 44 hours, ESPN2 with four including the championship Sunday, Aug. 7, at 1 p.m.
Preview: This is the last ATP event held prior to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. American John Isner will be looking for his fourth consecutive BB&T Atlanta Open singles title. Australian top-20 player Nick Kyrgios is also committed for the event.

WEEK FOUR
ATP / WTA Western & Southern Open, Cincinnati

ESPN2 and WatchESPN with 28 hours including all four semifinals, plus the championships Sunday, Aug. 21, at 2 p.m. (WTA) and 4 p.m. (ATP)
ATP Preview (official players’ field not yet announced): Cincinnati is a Masters 1000 event on the ATP World Tour meaning all Top 44 men are required to play, beginning their post-Olympic run to the US Open. Novak Djokovic has won 26 Masters 1000 events, but has never won at Cincinnati.
WTA Preview (official players’ field not yet announced): For the women, this is a Premier 5 WTA event. If confirmed, recent Wimbledon champion Serena Williams will once again be the woman to beat after winning the event in 2014 and 2015. Others to watch for include Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber and 2013 winner Victoria Azarenka.

WEEK FIVE
ATP Winston-Salem Open, Winston-Salem, N.C.

WatchESPN with 30 hours, ESPN2 with four, including the championship Saturday, Aug. 27 at 2 p.m.
Preview (official players’ field not yet announced): The field is expected to be topped by Americans Steve Johnson and Sam Querrey and South African Kevin Anderson.

WTA Connecticut Open, New Haven, Conn.

WatchESPN with 38 hours, ESPN2 with six, including both semifinals, plus the championship Saturday, Aug. 27, at 4 p.m.
Preview (official players’ field not yet announced): Commitments to the event so far include two-time defending champion Petra Kvitova, Americans Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys, four-time Champion Caroline Wozniacki and French Open quarterfinalist Shelby Rogers.

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