Help wanted: A major national or international corporation willing to spend $1.5 million or so to keep prestige tennis alive in Connecticut.
Without a “title sponsor” willing to make a commitment to the Connecticut Open, the women’s tennis tournament faces an uncertain future, according to Director Anne Worcester. Two staff members at the tournament were laid off in recent months and the remaining staff of four is working hard to sign a sponsor and explore options to keep the event alive.
“We’re trying with all of our heart and soul, I can assure you that,” Worcester said. “It’s been an amazing 21-year run but it is very expensive and challenging to keep this airplane in the air.” Previous title sponsors included Pilot Pen and Volvo.
Options currently under consideration include moving the event to July in a bid to draw more spectators. The current dates in late August coincide with family vacations and travel and limit attendance, Worcester said.
The Connecticut Open is also contemplating selling its “Premier” sanction, or rights for a top-ranking event. Under the next category of “International,” prize money would drop from the current $900,000 slated for 2019 to about $300,000. As an International, the event would draw fewer high-ranking European players but likely bring more young Americans to New Haven, something fans would likely endorse, Worcester said.
But all options depend on the signing of a title sponsor, Worcester emphasized. A deal must be in place by a December meeting of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) that will decide the New Haven event’s fate.
“The financial model does not work without a title sponsor,” Worcester said. “We really need a title sponsor in order to operate at premier sanction or with lower-level prize money.”
The upside for the sponsor? Association with a top-tier event that is televised in 160 markets across the world. The event also supports nonprofits and offers ample client-entertainment possibilities, Worcester said.
The cutbacks and uncertainty come after a relatively successful year for the tournament, which drew 50,255 people in 2018, making it the third-best attended women’s event on the WTA calendar. Attendance topped 100,000 in 2005 when both men’s and women’s events were hosted in New Haven and marquee players like Venus Williams appeared in the draw, but top players have been opting out in recent years to rest before the U.S. Open, which kicks off immediately after the New Haven event draws to a close — a disincentive to players who want to rest before the grueling two-week major in Flushing.
“What we’re hearing from our fans is that they want to see more Americans, especially leading into the U.S. Open,” Worcester said. “We’re doing all kinds of due diligence with our fans, with our sponsors with our sponsor prospects… it’s a real period of transition and we’re obviously trying to keep operating costs at a minimum so we have the longest possible runway to try to ensure a future for tennis in New Haven and the state of Connecticut.”
Correction: Title sponsorship for the Connecticut Open costs about $1 million, not $1.5 million.
