The final stretch of the North American hard-court swing is underway, and the Winston-Salem Open is ready to provide one last competitive test before the US Open.
The ATP 250 event will take place at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem from August 23 to 29, bringing together a mix of established names and rising talents looking to build momentum ahead of the year's final Grand Slam.
Luciano Darderi, Arthur Rinderknech and Alejandro Tabilo headline a field that also includes Ignacio Buse, Arthur Fery and Raphael Collignon. The tournament draw is scheduled for August 21 at 5:30 p.m. local time, setting up the path to the title.
Qualifying begins on Saturday, August 22, with the first matches scheduled for 11 a.m. The second round of qualifying follows on Sunday at 1 p.m., while main draw action gets underway later that day at 3 p.m.
The tournament will conclude on Saturday, August 29, with the doubles final scheduled for 1:30 p.m. followed by the singles final at 4 p.m.
There is plenty at stake for the players, with a total prize pool of US$818,240 up for grabs. The singles champion will earn US$112,420 and 250 ATP ranking points, while the doubles winners will split US$43,280 and also collect 250 points.
Those points could prove particularly valuable with the US Open approaching, giving players one final opportunity to improve their rankings and carry some confidence into New York.
Marton Fucsovics enters the tournament as the defending singles champion after beating Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 7-6(3) in last year's final. In the doubles competition, Marcelo Melo and Rafael Matos claimed the title after overcoming Francisco Cabral and Lucas Miedler 4-6, 6-4, [10-8].
The tournament also boasts a strong history, with John Isner holding the record for most singles titles with two. The American remains the event's last homegrown champion and was ranked No. 10 when he won the title in 2012, making him the highest-ranked champion in tournament history.
Adrian Mannarino became the oldest singles champion at 34 in 2022, while Hubert Hurkacz was the youngest at 22 when he lifted the trophy in 2019. Pablo Carreno Busta holds the record for most match wins at the tournament, with 20 victories.
With the US Open just around the corner, the Winston-Salem Open offers players one final chance to sharpen their game on hard courts before heading to New York. For fans, it promises a week of competitive tennis as established players and emerging contenders battle for one of the final ATP titles before the Grand Slam spotlight takes over.
