PowerShares Tennis Event comes to Orlando as USTA National Campus opens at Lake Nona
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer (pictured above) held a press conference at the downtown Orlando Tennis Centre to offer details about the PowerShares Series Tennis event and the opening of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) National Campus at Lake Nona.
The U.S. Tennis Association is gearing up to introduce its new Lake Nona campus next month with a concurrent big-name lineup in a competitive tennis series in Orlando.
The 2016 PowerShares Series, a multi-city tournament featuring legendary tennis icons and world-renowned champions, will come to Orlando’s Amway Center on January 5th 2017 and will feature tennis stars John McEnroe, Jim Courier (pictured above), Andy Roddick and James Blake. It’s the first major pro tennis event to be hosted in Orlando in nearly 20 years, the USTA announced earlier this year.
McEnroe will open up play against Jim Courier at 7 pm to be followed by Andy Roddick taking on James Blake. The 12-city tour of one-night tournaments features 4 Champions paired off in one set semi-finals and culminates with the winners meeting in a one-set championship match. Other competitors who have appeared in the series are Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Michael Chang, and Mark Philippoussis. Tickets, as well as hit-with-the-pros opportunities and VIP backstage access, are on sale now for Orlando at www.PowerSharesSeries.com
The new $100 million USTA National Campus in southeast Orlando’s Lake Nona community will open to the public on January 2nd, which will include a week of events for the community, a USTA spokeswoman said. The USTA campus was developed by Tavistock Development Co. LLC as the anchor of Lake Nona’s 300-acre Sports & Performance District. The 63-acre campus will feature more than 100 tennis courts, a tennis pro shop, a fitness area, locker rooms, a players’ lounge, a cafeteria and offices. It is expected to create nearly 200 jobs.
Mayor Dyer spoke about Orlando’s growth in the sports market and how it is becoming known as a premier destination for events and sports enthusiasts of all skill levels.
The USTA National Campus will be home to two headquarters: the association’s player development division, relocating from Boca Raton; and the recreational tennis division, relocating from White Plains, N.Y.
