New York Open tennis event taking shape

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Four top 20 ATP World Tour tennis players, John Isner (No. 17), Kei Nishikori (No. 14), and Bob and Mike Bryan (No. 6 doubles), are the first commitments in the player field for the inaugural New York Open at NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, which takes place Feb. 11-18.

Isner has won 12 career titles, including two 2017 ATP World Tour events, the BB&T Atlanta Open and the Hall of Fame Open in Newport, RI, with a finals win in Atlanta over 2017 Memphis Open winner Ryan Harrison. He defeated the world’s No. 1 Rafael Nadal in the Laver Cup in Prague last month, in what marked one of the biggest upsets of the event.

“I’m excited about being one of the headliners for this first-time winter ATP Tour event in New York,” said Isner. “We hear NYCB LIVE has been renovated to be a first-class state-of-the-art arena, and it's getting good buzz among the players.”

Four-time Memphis Open champion (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016) Nishikori holds 11 career titles, and in 2017 reached the finals of the Argentina Open and Brisbane International.  He has been ranked as high as No. 5 in the world this year, and in the past two years, Nishikori has reached at least the fourth round in six Grand Slam tournaments, including the quarterfinals of the 2016 Australian Open, semifinals of the 2016 US Open, and the fourth round of the 2017 Australian Open where he lost to eventual champions and top ranked players Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka, and Roger Federer respectively. He also reached the finals of the US Open in 2014.

“Playing in New York has always been exciting for me and to think I could win a fifth title during this ATP week would be amazing,” said Nishikori. “I’ll miss Memphis, but I know I’m going to love playing in New York.”

Widely recognized as the world’s greatest doubles team of all time, Mike and Bob Bryan hold 16 Grand Slam titles, including six Australian Open championships, two French Opens, three Wimbledon titles, and five US Open championships. The Bryans took home the gold in men’s doubles at the 2012 London Olympic Games and won the ATP World Tour Finals four times. Most recently, the duo won the BB&T Atlanta Open and reached the semifinals of the 2017 US Open.

“We love firsts, and the idea of bringing the tour to New York in February is going to be great,” said Mike Bryan. “ATP tennis is back in a big way, and we’re happy to play on Long Island at the Coliseum.”

“We’re looking forward to playing in a new venue and can’t wait to be part of the first New York Open,” said Bob Bryan.

The 2018 New York Open will mark the return of the ATP World Tour to the New York metropolitan area and Long Island since 2005. GF Sports, a live events and sports media entertainment company, acquired the former Memphis Open in 2015 and partnered with Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment to move the tournament to Long Island. The event is one of the longest-running American tournaments on the ATP World Tour and the only indoor championship contested in the United States. Previous champions include Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, John McEnroe, Andy Roddick, Milos Raonic, Kei Nishikori, and most recently, Ryan Harrison.

"The reaction from the player locker room about the New York Open has been extremely encouraging," explained Tournament Director and GF Sports EVP Josh Ripple. "The opportunity for these athletes to be showcased in a venue like the Coliseum and the unique two-court indoor configuration that we have created will be special. We are confident NY fans will be very happy to finally have a winter pro tennis tournament they can call their own."

Individual tickets range from $28 to $102, and VIP packages range from $122 to $493 for the main draw and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com, NewYorkOpen.com and NYCBLIVE.com, or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased in person at the Ticketmaster Box Office at the Coliseum. More player commitments will be announced soon. Parking will be $15.