USTA Press Release, January 11, 2022

The USTA Pro Circuit returns with a full slate of more than 100 events in 2022, kicking off this week with a women’s event in Vero Beach, Fla. This comes after both the 2020 and 2021 seasons were dramatically impacted by the pandemic, forcing the cancellation and postponement of dozens of events.

Created in 1979 to provide additional competitive opportunities on American soil for players who aspire to earn the professional ranking points needed to gain entry into the higher-level tournaments, the USTA Pro Circuit has since grown into the largest Pro Circuit in the world.

“The USTA Pro Circuit serves as America’s premier pathway for men and women who seek to compete at the highest levels of professional tennis,” said Idelle Pierre-Louis, the USTA’s Senior Manager of the Pro Circuit. “Countless top professionals have developed their games on the USTA Pro Circuit and, year-after-year, communities around the country have the opportunity to see these exciting players compete up close in a variety of intimate, fan-friendly venues.”

Currently, there are 103 events scheduled for 2022, compared to the 101 events held in 2019, the last full USTA Pro Circuit season prior to the onset of the pandemic. The women’s schedule kicks off with a W25 event in Vero Beach this week followed by two W60 events in Orlando and Rome, Ga., later this month. For the men, the USTA Pro Circuit schedule begins with back-to-back ATP Challengers in Columbus, Ohio, and Cleveland, beginning the week of Jan. 24.

For the women, the number of W100 events, (the highest-level women’s USTA Pro Circuit event offering $100,000 in prize money), increases from three to five in 2022 with events in Charleston, S.C., Bonita Springs, Fla., and Landisville, Pa., being joined by an event in Palm Harbor, Fla., and a second Charleston W100 tournament.

The 2022 season also marks the introduction of the Julie Ditty Sportsmanship Award, which will be given annually to one male and one female player who best exemplifies the spirit of sportsmanship as voted upon by USTA Pro Circuit tournament directors. The award is named after Julie Ditty Qualls, the former pro and beloved coach, who passed away at the age of 42 in 2021 after a long battle with breast cancer. Ditty Qualls owns a record 38 USTA Pro Circuit titles.

For more information on the USTA Pro Circuit including the full 2022 calendar of events, please click here.