DALLAS OPEN UPGRADED TO AN ATP 500 TOURNAMENT FOR 2025 The tournament will become the fourth-highest tier of annual men’s tennis competitions just behind the ATP Masters 1000 with more ranking points and increased prize money DALLAS (November 8, 2023) – The Dallas Open announced today that the ATP Tour event will be upgraded to a 500-level tournament, beginning in 2025. The Dallas Open is one of three tournaments, selected from a pool of 17, to be awarded an upgrade. As an ATP 500 tournament, the Dallas Open will experience increased stature and significance within the professional tennis circuit. ATP 500 tournaments are the fourth-highest tier of annual men’s tennis competitions after the four Grand Slam tournaments, the ATP Finals, and the ATP Masters 1000. The Dallas Open will be one of 16 global events at the 500-level. With the opportunity to offer more ATP ranking points and increased prize money, the Dallas Open will draw a more competitive and diverse field, as an ATP 500 tournament. The Dallas Open has operated as an ATP 250 tournament since moving to North Texas in 2022. “We are thrilled that the Dallas Open has been chosen as a new ATP 500 tournament,” said Peter Lebedevs, tournament director of the Dallas Open. “We want to thank our longtime friend and Dallas local John Isner, who was very supportive of our effort to take the Dallas Open to the 500-level. We’re very excited for the thousands of enthusiastic tennis fans in the North Texas region. We’ve been building to this, and we will continue to improve all aspects of the tournament for everyone involved. Keep an eye out in the coming weeks for additional announcements surrounding this exciting news.” Even as a 500-level tournament the Dallas Open will continue their standing tradition of awarding the top male tennis player at SMU with a singles main draw wildcard. Lebedevs added, “As part of GF Sports & Entertainment’s commitment to growing the game of tennis and supporting the next generation of American players, we are excited to continue this relationship with SMU showcasing the talents of their top-tier players.” Tournament dates in the ATP calendar that would be considered for 500-level upgrades were February and April. Based on this criteria, GF Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Dallas and Atlanta Opens, was eligible to apply for an upgrade. From a pool of 17 applicants, the Dallas Open was selected as one of three tournaments to be elevated to the ATP 500-level. Tournaments in Doha, Qatar, and Munich, Germany were also chosen to host 500-level events.         About The Dallas Open The Dallas Open is currently an ATP Tour 250 men’s tournament that will play its third year in Dallas on February 3-11, 2024, at the Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex at SMU. It will be the only ATP Tour indoor championship in the United States, and features men’s top world tennis players in singles and doubles competition. The tournament, previously held as the New York Open, is one of the longest-running American tournaments on the ATP Tour. Its rich history features some of the top names in tennis, including legends John McEnroe, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Michael Chang, John Isner, and Andy Murray, and a current generation of stars like Kei Nishikori, Milos Raonic, and Reilly Opelka.   About GF Sports & Entertainment GF Sports & Entertainment is a global events and operations company that elevates the experience of live sports, entertainment and interactive events. The company owns two of the ATP Tour’s longest running American tennis tournaments, the Dallas Open and the Atlanta Open, as well as the National Lacrosse League New York Riptide. GF Sports & Entertainment also incubates new and emerging sport concepts, this includes Wolf Pack Ninjas, which operates ninja-focused events globally. GF Sports & Entertainment was founded in July 2015 by New York-based private equity firm GF Capital. For additional information, please visitwww.gfsportsandentertainment.com. About The ATP As a global governing body of men’s professional tennis, the ATP’s mission is to serve tennis. We entertain a billion global fans, showcase the world’s greatest players at the most prestigious tournaments, and inspire the next generation of fans and players. From the United Cup in Australia, to Europe, the Americas and Asia, the stars of the game battle for titles and Pepperstone ATP Rankings points at ATP Masters 1000, 500 and 250 events, and Grand Slams. All roads lead towards the Nitto ATP Finals, the prestigious season finale held in Turin, Italy. Featuring only the world’s top 8 qualified singles players and doubles teams, the tournament also sees the official crowning of the year-end ATP World No. 1, presented by Pepperstone, the ultimate achievement in tennis. For more information, please visitwww.ATPTour.com. -- dallasopen -- Media Contact: Angela Lang | Tony Fay Public Relations | [email protected] | 214-548-0827