Dallas Open Looks for Continued Growth in Second Year

Venus Williams, Taylor Fritz, John Isner among top players coming to SMU

When it comes to gauging the success of the inaugural Dallas Open tennis tournament, Peter Lebedevs defers to the fans.

The tournament director uses those same voices to shape the future of an ATP Tour event he hopes can continue growing in its second installment and beyond.

For starters, he points to a promising field of top men’s players who will take the court at SMU’s Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex on Feb. 5-12.

“We’re very happy with the move to Dallas. We had an intimate venue and a supportive fan base,” Lebedevs said. “The people in Dallas really want to see this level of tennis.”

The tournament, formerly known as the New York Open before relocating last year, is the only indoor annual ATP Tour event in the United States. It also has the smallest seating capacity, with room for fewer than 2,000 on the featured court, which is by design.

“We like the idea of an intimate atmosphere,” Lebedevs said. “We have guaranteed that feeling of a packed stadium. That’s better for the fans and the players.”

Committed players for 2023 include defending champion Reilly Opelka, local favorite John Isner — who lives in the Park Cities and acts as a tournament ambassador — fellow American stars Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe, plus international standouts Miomir Kecmanovic (Serbia) and Adrian Mannarino (France).

This year’s tournament will again feature men’s singles and doubles brackets throughout the week, preceded by a women’s exhibition match between Venus Williams and Danielle Collins on Feb. 4.

“I think it’s going to be a fantastic kickoff to our event,” Lebedevs said. “We tried to take what the fans told us to make the experience a little better.”

Other changes this year include a new spectator entry, a revamped hospitality village, more box seats, and the introduction of live electronic line-calling technology.

Meanwhile, winners going forward will receive the Lamar Hunt Trophy, customized and named to honor Hunt’s founding of World Championship Tennis in Dallas during the 1960s and the sport’s legacy in the city.

Ticket sales have been brisk, including box-seat VIP tickets, which sold out in October, giving Lebedevs further validation that the event is set up for long-term success.

“We want to embrace our history of tennis in Dallas,” he said. “If we keep producing what the fans want, it helps us develop those roots. We plan to be here for a long time.”