The USTA on Wednesday announced the “Tennis Players for Peace Showcase,” an event to be held on August 24, Ukraine’s Independence Day, for the benefit of the people of Ukraine under the Tennis Plays for Peace program.
Stars taking part in the event include Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Taylor Fritz, Matteo Berrettini, John McEnroe, Coco Gauff, Leylah Fernandez, Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula and Victoria Azarenka. They will play a series of singles and mixed doubles matches inside Louis Armstrong Stadium from 7-9 p.m.
Tennis Plays for Peace, which is made up of the governing bodies of tennis and Grand Slam events, has raised more than $1 million in humanitarian aid and the USTA hopes to raise at least $2 million more during the US Open.
“The US Open is an arena that draws millions of passionate fans, and it behooves us to help guide this passion to help those who desperately need it,” said USTA Chairman Mike McNulty. “This is a vitally important cause, and I’m proud of the way our sport has come together to provide a much-needed helping hand to our friends in Ukraine. I’m also proud that we can use the global platform of the US Open to improve donation effort, and I urge everyone to do whatever they can to help us show the people of Ukraine that we are with them in their time of need.”
Tickets for the “Tennis Plays for Peace Exhibition,” which will go on sale through TicketMaster on August 10, are priced at $25 and $50 with 100% of proceeds going to GlobalGiving, the identified international non-profit organization by Tennis Plays for Peace. All donations to GlobalGiving’s Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund will support humanitarian assistance in affected communities in Ukraine and surrounding regions where Ukrainian refugees have fled.
The event will be hosted by ESPN’s Patrick McEnroe, and ESPN will make The Tennis Plays for Peace exhibit available on ESPN+. The US Open’s official national broadcaster will also provide the program to the US Open world broadcast, and the event will be streamed on USOpen.org.
The main draw of the US Open begins on August 29.
