BAY AREA LOSES LONGTIME WOMEN’S TENNIS EVENT AS WTA MOVES TO WASHINGTON, D.C.
Article via Alex Simon, San Jose Mercury News
SAN JOSE, CA – After a run of more than 50 years, the Bay Area will no longer have a major women’s tennis tournament.
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) announced on Thursday that the Silicon Valley Classic, formerly known as the Bank of the West Classic, is moving from San Jose to Washington, D.C.
“It’s devastating,” said John Poch, the executive director of the San Jose Sports Authority. “We loved hosting the tournament. It was a big part of our DNA. It’s tough to lose.”
The move brings an end to an iconic part of women’s tennis history. The Bay Area’s tournament was the first U.S.-based event during the groundbreaking Virginia Slims Circuit in 1971. Billie Jean King won the inaugural event and became a three-time champion.
Other multiple singles champions included Martina Navratilova (five titles), Kim Clijsters (four), and Chris Evert (three).
The Williams sisters also made their mark on the event: Serena won it three times and Venus twice. Perhaps most noteworthy is that in 1994, Venus made her professional debut at age 14 at the tournament – then in Oakland – and won her first match.
The event has been held every year but two (1978, 2020) since 1971, making it the longest-running women’s tournament in the world. Most tournaments, including all of the majors, feature a men’s field.
That will be the case with the newly named tournament in Washington, D.C. The Mubadala Citi DC Open, which opens July 29, will pair the women’s event with the men’s Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) event.