Things to do / Travel Guide
Address:201 West Atlantic Avenue
Delray Beach, Florida
Our Sports Superfan Says:
This is the place where top American pro Andy Roddick played his first professional match, and hosts one of the faster-growing, and more popular, North American pro tennis tournaments. The place is the Delray Beach Tennis Center, and the tournament is the International Tennis Championships, held in the early part of the year.
The weeklong hardcourt tournament is the first North American based men's tour tournament of the year. While the 32-man singles field is not quite on the top level of tournaments, it still attracts a number of top players, with Americans James Blake and Andy Roddick consistently playing Delray Beach in the last few years. There is also a 16-team doubles draw. Three times, as of 2007, one player has won both draws in the same year, Todd Woodbridge in 1995, Jan-Michael Gambill in 2001, and Xavier Malisse in 2007.
Originally, the International Tennis Championships were held in Coral Springs, Florida, but they moved to Delray Beach in 1999. Since then, the tournament has become a player and fan favorite, helped by the site's good weather and relatively small and cozy setting – holding just 8,200 fans.
The club was built in 1992, and has also been the home of international tennis competition, hosting the women's Federation Cup and men's Davis Cup ties for the United States teams. It is located in Delray Beach, Florida, about 60 miles up the coast from downtown Miami.