CHARLESTON, S.C., March 6, 2024 (Press Release)

Fifth Third Bank announced its commitment to women’s sports and professional tennis through a new sponsorship of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 500 Credit One Charleston Open at Live To Play (LTP) Daniel Island and title sponsorship of two WTA 125 tennis tournaments at LTP Mount Pleasant this year.

The Fifth Third WTA 125 events, which will be contested March 10-16 and November 18-24 will feature a singles draw of 32 players and a doubles draw of 16 players. In addition, the Bank has partnered with the Charleston Open (March 30-April 7) as an event sponsor and co-presenter of Tennis In The City, the tournament’s annual city-wide initiative to grow youth tennis in the Charleston community and provide affordable, quality tennis instruction to kids.

“I had the opportunity to spend time with the Fifth Third team to get a better understanding of who they are and their mission as they expand into the Charleston market,” said Bob Moran, president of Beemok Sports & Entertainment. “As we identified a need to provide lower ranked WTA players the opportunity to both play more and earn a living, Fifth Third quickly joined us, discerning a perfect fit to support women and help provide financial stability for players who are still making their way in their careers.

“Their commitment to improving both the lives of their customers and the communities they serve resonated with me. Their partnership with the Charleston Open is a great addition, however their excitement with the idea of supporting our new WTA 125 events was uplifting.”

WTA 125 level tournaments play an important role in providing an opportunity for professional tennis players to progress on the Hologic WTA Tour, earn ranking points and compensation. They strengthen the caliber of women’s professional tennis by giving new and seasoned players more freedom and possibility to compete during the year, which allows for growth and access to qualifying and main draw appearances at larger tournaments.

As part of Fifth Third’s commitment to championing women athletes and going the extra mile in banking, the company has agreed to go a “Fifth Third Better” and will provide an additional 166.7 percent (5/3 = 166.7 percent) of the winner’s purse or $9,900 to the winners of both WTA 125 events.

“To pledge a bonus to the winner of each WTA 125 event in the form of a ‘Fifth Third more’ on top of prize money is impactful,” said Moran. “I want to express my thanks and gratitude for making life a ‘Fifth Third Better’ for the next generation of aspiring WTA players.”

Headquartered in Cincinnati, Fifth Third services businesses and communities through 11 states and 13 regions. The financial institution is continuing its growth in the Carolinas market, recently opening two branches in the Charleston-area, one on James Island and another in Mount Pleasant. Fifth Third began operating in South Carolina in 2011 with a commercial team in Greenville and, in 2020, opened the first branch location in that market.

“Several years ago, Fifth Third announced its commitment and investment in South Carolina. As we expanded into the Charleston market with our experienced Commercial Banking team, led by Jason Hessberg, followed by a mortgage team and retail locations, we have looked for ways to make meaningful connections in the community,” said Charlie Arndt, South Carolina market president, Fifth Third Bank. “Partnering with Beemok Sports & Entertainment on this incredible opportunity to support female athletes and an event that benefits the local economy fits our strategy.

“As Charleston tennis and this state-of-the art venue continue to draw growing crowds to the Lowcountry, we will all benefit.”

This is the Bank’s first foray into tennis and women’s sports. They currently partner with the Cincinnati Bengals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Lakers, among others.