The Winston-Salem Open tennis tournament begins Saturday. This year's event includes a high-profile women's exhibition match. The tournament's director says he's been fielding questions about whether that means tournament leaders are going to add the women's tour to what has been an all-male competition.
The women's match features Australian Ashleigh Barty, currently the No. 2 ranked player in the world, against 15-year-old American Cori “Coco” Gauff, who became a sensation at Wimbledon this year after making it to the fourth round.
Tickets to the match sold out in just two days. But tournament director Bill Oakes says there are many factors to consider before a decision is made to add a women's side to the Open.
“You want the women's tour to be able to have a great experience, the same experience we're giving to the men,” he says. “You want the men to feel like that their experience gets enhanced by having the women. And then there's a financial component. Whatever we do we want to make sure that we do what's in the best interest of the tournament in the long term.”
Oakes says there are ongoing discussions with both the ATP — the men's professional tour — and the Women's Tennis Association about including women in the event, but there's no timeframe for when that would happen.
This year's tournament features a new app with features including practice schedules for the players and a trivia game. There's also new stadium seating in the box seat section.
Work crews are putting finishing touches on a new $3 million VIP building that Oakes says will provide an air-conditioned gathering spot for fans.