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IOWA CITY, Iowa - The Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex is hosting a United States Tennis Association (USTA) Pro Circuit event on July 15th. The Old Capitol Tennis Championships, a men’s professional tournament, will return for a second consecutive year in Iowa City.

“Hosting a professional tournament at the University of Iowa is a huge step in becoming a ’Top 25’ program and competing for a Big Ten Championship” said University of Iowa men’s head coach Ross Wilson. “There are less than 10 programs in the country that have an on-campus pro event, so this allows us to recruit the top players in the world. Additionally, it allows our team members to start accumulating ATP points before they dive fully into their professional career.”

The field will feature approximately 70 professional players competing in both singles and doubles events for $25,000 in total prize money. Players ranked as high as No. 300 in the world compete in the ITF World Tennis Tour events. Several current and former Iowa men’s players are expected to compete.

“It is exciting to welcome world-class athletes from around the globe to the Corridor for Iowa’s only professional tennis tournament,” tournament director Alex Voss said. “Year 1 (2018) was planned and executed on a short timeline so there was a limited ability to create awareness for the tournament. After demonstrating what a great host Iowa City is for pro tennis last year, this year our goal is to showcase pro tennis and create excitement among the community for the sport. We want all of Iowa to experience the power and excitement of tennis at its highest form and see the future of tennis.”