Cranbrook hosts pro tennis tournament July 2-9

The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Tour has announced the inaugural Cranbrook Tennis Classic, July 2-9, a new stop on the ATP Challenger Tour that marks the first-time professional tennis will be played in the Detroit area in over 25 years.

The Cranbrook Tennis Classic is presented in partnership with the USTA (US Tennis Association) Pro Circuit, and with founding sponsor, Fairlife’s Core Power, post workout recovery shakes.

This week-long event will be hosted at the new tennis complex at Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills, in an intimate and exciting setting, and will feature some of the game’s top and rising stars, including Kei Nishikori, who formerly held the world's number four spot, as he works his way back from injury. Nishikori is a former USTA finalist and Olympic bronze medalist.

The ATP Challenger Tour is the second highest tier of professional tennis, where seasoned veterans and rising stars battle their way through the ranks and onto the main ATP Tour. The ATP Challenger Tour features an intimate setting of raw and passionate high-quality tennis matches, supported by die-hard tennis fans.

According to ATP, in the past, other challenger tours have been launchpads for a long list of well-known and accomplished players, including world number two player Carlos Alcaraz, world number 10 player Taylor Fritz and world number 11 player Frances Tiafoe.

Bringing the new ATP Challenger Tour to Bloomfield Hills and the creation of the Cranbrook Tennis Classic is the work of David DeMuth, tournament chair and co-director, a tennis aficionado and CEO of Detroit-based global advertising agency Doner. Other tournament directors include Giovanni Lapentti, retired ATP pro and Ecuadorian Davis Cup player, and Alex DeMuth, former collegiate player and tournament staff at ATP Masters Event, The Western & Southern Open.

“It’s exciting to bring world class tennis to the large, thriving and diverse tennis community of southeast Michigan,” said DeMuth.

In addition to the competition, the Cranbrook Tennis Classic will include tennis clinics for local youth, high school tennis team day, and will raise money to benefit Cranbrook athletics, as well as The Palmer Park Tennis Academy, the USTA’s Community Tennis Association of the year in 2021, which helps at-risk youth develop life skills as well as their tennis game.

Cranbrook Schools’ new tennis complex was recently awarded Top Outdoor Tennis Facility by the American Sports Builders Association.

Tickets are currently for sale, beginning at $15.