George Fuller Mayor at City of McKinney | Facebook Website
The City of McKinney, Texas, will host the Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Play-off on November 16-17. The event will feature top women's tennis players from Ukraine competing against Austria at The Courts of McKinney at Gabe Nesbitt Park. This location was chosen due to ongoing challenges in Ukraine.
"McKinney has always been a community that values hospitality and coming together to support one another," stated Mayor George Fuller. "While Ukraine is dealing with a terrible war that prevents the team from playing on their home courts, McKinney proudly steps in as a surrogate host."
The play-off will consist of a best-of-five match series, part of eight similar events held globally in November. Winners will advance to the Billie Jean King Cup Qualifier by Gainbridge next April. Matches include two singles matches on Saturday, followed by two reverse singles and a doubles match on Sunday.
Anna Popovchenko, CEO of the Svitolina Foundation and board member of the Ukrainian Tennis Federation, expressed gratitude: “We are deeply grateful for the unwavering support from the City of McKinney, Visit McKinney, and the Bush Tennis Center during these challenging times for Ukraine.”
This marks McKinney's first time hosting an international tennis event of this scale. The city's commitment to sports tourism is highlighted by its recent $11 million indoor facility addition.
Aaron Werner, Director of Visit McKinney, commented: "This international event reflects McKinney's dedication to fostering sports tourism and enhancing our city's profile as a premier destination for world-class events."
Tickets and VIP packages are available for purchase for both days. Proceeds will benefit the Svitolina Foundation and the Bush-Wikse ACE Outreach Program, supporting youth access to tennis programs worldwide.
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