Sept 29, 2023

2023 Mercer Tennis Classic Singles Player Field

MERCER UNIVERSITY - John Drew Smith Tennis Center - OCT 16 - OCT 22, 2022

USTA Pro Circuit 80K Event

MACON, Georgia, (September 29, 2023) Professional women’s tennis returns to Macon in October with the Mercer Tennis Classic held Oct. 16-22 at the John Drew Smith Tennis Center in Macon. 

Around 75 players from all over the world, many that have competed in Wimbledon, the US Open and other major championships will be in Macon starting October 16, competing for $80,000 and valuable ranking points.

“We have one of the strongest Pro Circuit fields every year,” stated Tournament Director and Mercer Head Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach, Eric Hayes. “We will once again have many returning players and elite singles and doubles draws, but for the first time ever- top 50 players!”

Emma Navarro will be the highest ranked entrant with a WTA ranking of No. 46.

Atlanta-resident Taylor Townsend is currently ranked No. 8 in the world in doubles coming off a quarterfinal result at the US Open and reaching the finals of the 2023 French Open.

Chicago native Caroline Dolehide is at a career-high No. 42 and recently reached the finals of the WTA 1000 Guadalajara Open. 

The 2023 player field has been released.

Almost 40 players who have competed in the Macon event have gone on to compete for Grand Slams in 2023.

2023 Initial Player Field:

Main Draw Entry List and Ranking

1 USA Caroline Dolehide 42

2 USA Emma Navarro 46 

3 USA Taylor Townsend   89

4 GBR Jodie Anna Burrage 91 

5 USA Kayla Day 96 

6 USA Katie Volynets  109 

7 COL Emiliana Arango 120 

8 USA Emina Bektas 121 

9 HUN Panna Udvardy 128

10 USA Hailey Baptiste 137 

11 USA Elizabeth Mandlik 142 

12 JPN Mai Hontama 148 

13 GBR Harriet Dart       149 

14 USA Sachia Vickery 151

15 CAN Katherine Sebov 155 

16 USA Ann Li 156

17 SWE Mirjam Bjorklund 157

18 USA Robin Montgomery 159

The women’s event will feature a 32-player singles qualifying draw, a 32-player singles main draw and a 16-team doubles draw with a field made up of WTA professional players as well as up-and-coming juniors.

Player field notes: 

2 players ranked in the top-50 (First time for Mercer Tennis Classic)

5 players ranked in the WTA Top 100

One former Macon champion in the field - Kayla Day (2016)

Emma Navarro, from Charleston SC, is up to a career high ranking of 46

All of these players played either the main draw or qualifying of the 2023 US Open

Again for 2023 are three evenings of night matches during the week. (Please check the order of play each day for specific matches and times.) Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

10th Anniversary. The Mercer Tennis Classic will once again feature many of the best women tennis players in the world. It is the second biggest professional tournament in the state of Georgia in terms of prize money (ATP World Tour 250 event - Atlanta Open in July, is the largest). It is also the longest running professional women’s tennis tournament in the state of Georgia. The event has been showcased on USTA.com and the Tennis Channel.

Tickets are available at www.ustamaconclassic.com

The Mercer Tennis Classic has featured players with major titles, including 2014 Macon singles champ, Kateryna Bondarenko, of Ukraine, and her sister, Alona, who she teamed with to win the 2008 Australian Open Doubles title, and 2010 French Open singles champion Francesca Schiavone, of Italy, who was the tournament’s top seed in 2018.

Live streaming and radio information to be released soon.

Tournament volunteers are needed and any help is always appreciated. Call Mercer tennis coach and tournament director Eric Hayes at (478) 301-2269.

About the John Drew Smith Tennis Center

The John Drew Smith Tennis Center (JDSTC) is regarded as one of the top 25 public municipal facilities in the nation by Tennis Magazine and the United States Tennis Association. It has 22 tennis courts, 6 pickleball courts, a beautiful observation deck and pro shop. The facility is a haven for programming for juniors, adults, and everyone in the community. Historic John Drew Smith Tennis Center is renowned for hosting local, state, and national tennis events. Tennis players not only from the state of Georgia but all over the country, are familiar with JDS. Almost every competitive junior player from the state of Georgia in the last 40 years has played at this renowned facility. The activity is so extensive and the atmosphere is so conducive to tennis that, in 2005, Racquet Sports Industry (RSI) named John Drew Smith Tennis Center the Municipal Facility of the Year.

About the USTA Pro Circuit

With approximately 90 tournaments hosted annually throughout the country and prize money ranging from $15,000 to $100,000, the USTA Pro Circuit is the pathway to the US Open and tour-level competition for aspiring tennis players and a frequent battleground for established professionals. The USTA launched its Pro Circuit in 1979 to provide players with the opportunity to gain professional ranking points, and it has since grown to become the largest developmental tennis circuit in the world, offering nearly $3 million in prize money. Last year, more than 1,000 men and women from more than 70 countries competed in cities nationwide. Victoria Azarenka, Eugenie Bouchard, John Isner, Madison Keys, Andy Murray, Kei Nishikori, Sam Querrey and Caroline Wozniacki are among today's top stars who began their careers on the USTA Pro Circuit.

For more information:

On-site PR contact: Rick Limpert (209) 920-7425 or email: Rick.Limpert@gmail.com Website: www.ustamaconclassic.com

Twitter: @USTAMacon80K

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaconTennisClassic/ Instagram: mercertennisclassic