Winston-Salem Open: Everything You Need to Know About the ATP 250

Every August, as the tennis world turns its attention toward the final Grand Slam of the season, a quieter but crucial stop takes place in the rolling hills of North Carolina. The Winston-Salem Open has carved out a distinct role on the ATP Tour. It is the last tournament before the US Open, the final chance for players to sharpen their games on hard courts, and a genuinely welcoming event in the heart of the Tar Heel State.
For tennis fans planning summer travel, or for casual viewers wondering what this tournament is all about, here is a closer look at the Winston-Salem Open, why it exists, and what makes it worth your attention.
The Winston-Salem Open is a men's professional tennis tournament on the ATP Tour, classified as an ATP 250 event. That places it one tier below the ATP 500 and ATP Masters 1000 levels, which means it attracts a solid field of established tour players, rising prospects, and seasoned veterans looking for match rhythm. The tournament is played on outdoor hard courts and takes place the week immediately before the US Open.
That scheduling is no coincidence. Players use Winston-Salem as their final competitive rehearsal before heading to New York. Practice sessions can only do so much. What players really need before a Grand Slam is the pressure of real competition: dealing with a stubborn opponent on a hot afternoon, handling break points, and working through nerves. This tournament offers exactly that, with the added benefit of a short, easy trip to Flushing Meadows afterward.
The event has a deeper history than many fans realize. Before landing in North Carolina, this tournament had a long-rooted connection to the New England summer circuit, where it operated for years in New Haven, Connecticut, as a staple of the hard-court season. In 2011, the event relocated to Winston-Salem, moved onto the campus of Wake Forest University, and rebranded as a men's-only ATP tournament. That lineage matters. It means the Winston-Salem Open did not have to build recognition from scratch. It inherited years of organizational experience, a trusted spot on the calendar, and a fan base that understood its identity.
The setting is one of the tournament's strongest selling points. Matches are held at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex, and unlike the cavernous stadiums at Grand Slams, this venue offers a much more intimate experience. The main stadium court seats a few thousand spectators, and the close quarters mean fans can hear the ball pop off the strings and watch players react between points. The compact grounds also make it easy to see multiple matches in a single day without spending half your time walking between courts. For families and casual sports fans who might feel lost at a larger event, the Winston-Salem Open is refreshingly accessible.
The campus atmosphere adds to the appeal. Summer in North Carolina can be hot and humid, but evening sessions tend to provide more comfortable conditions, which is why night matches are popular with both local residents and visitors. The event has developed a relaxed, slightly academic energy thanks to its university home, and the combination of good tennis, walkable grounds, and local hospitality has made it a beloved tradition in the region.
In terms of format, the Winston-Salem Open features a 48-player singles draw and a 16-team doubles draw. The top 16 seeds receive first-round byes, meaning they enter the tournament in the second round while the rest of the field begins play on Monday and Tuesday. This structure serves two purposes. It rewards higher-ranked players with a bit of extra rest, and it makes the early rounds feel urgent and competitive, because unseeded players are fighting immediately to keep their week alive. For spectators, that translates into a full week of meaningful tennis rather than a slow build-up to the weekend.
Matches run from early in the week through Saturday, with the singles final typically held on Saturday evening. The schedule is deliberately arranged so that finalists still have time to travel to New York and prepare before the US Open begins the following Monday. That careful planning reflects how well the tournament understands its place in the larger tennis calendar.
Past champions read like a list of players who knew how to peak at the right moment. John Isner, the towering American known for his serve and his comfort on home soil, won the title in the tournament's early years and helped put it on the map. Daniil Medvedev claimed the trophy in 2018, well before he went on to lift the US Open title, and that result stands as an early sign of the level he was rapidly approaching. Hubert Hurkacz and Kevin Anderson have also left their names on the trophy. More than any single winner, though, the tournament's legacy is one of opportunity. Because the draw is relatively small and seeds receive byes, the bracket can open up quickly. A confident qualifier or wild card can go on a surprise run, and that unpredictability is part of the charm.
For players, the tournament holds a special kind of value. A week of match play on hard courts heading into the US Open builds confidence and sharpens instincts. At the same time, a player who loses early gains extra days of rest and practice. Either way, the week serves a purpose. The Winston-Salem Open has also earned a reputation among professionals for being well organized and player-friendly. In the tennis world, that sort of goodwill spreads quickly through the locker room, and it shows in the quality of the field year after year.
Attending in person is where the event really shines. Compared to bigger tournaments, the Winston-Salem Open is affordable and approachable. Grounds passes are reasonably priced, seating is comfortable, and the crowd size never feels overwhelming. You can realistically watch several courts in one visit, and because the venue is compact, you will not spend your afternoon shuttling between distant locations. The tournament also leans into the local community, with food vendors, activities for kids, and a lively but relaxed atmosphere in the evenings. This makes it a practical choice for families, not just devoted tennis followers.
If you are thinking about going, it is worth noting that weekend sessions attract the biggest crowds, so booking tickets in advance for the later rounds is a smart move. A weekday evening session is often the sweet spot: competitive tennis, cooler temperatures, and a crowd that is engaged but not packed in. And if you are traveling from outside the area, Winston-Salem itself has plenty to offer, with a growing downtown food scene, historic neighborhoods, and a friendly pace that fits a summer getaway.
The tournament was also part of the US Open Series for a stretch, the North American hard-court circuit that rewarded players for performing well across the summer events leading into the US Open. Even as that series shifted and changed over time, Winston-Salem held on to its place as the final tune-up before the season's last Grand Slam. That spot on the calendar might be worth more than any title sponsorship. It guarantees the tournament a steady stream of motivated players and gives every match a sense of stakes.
There are plenty of tennis tournaments in any given season, but very few have the kind of clear mission that the Winston-Salem Open carries. It knows exactly what it is: a well-run, player-first event that serves as the last proving ground before the biggest hard-court championship of the year. For fans, it offers the rare chance to see high-level tennis in a setting where the action feels close enough to touch. For players, it provides match time that is genuinely valuable at that point in the season. And for the city of Winston-Salem, it brings a week of international attention and community pride.
Not every great tennis moment happens on the sport's largest stages. Some of the best ones occur a week before the US Open, on a college campus in North Carolina, where the crowds are close, the summer nights are warm, and everyone on court is still fighting for something. That is what the Winston-Salem Open has always been about. Whether you are a die-hard fan following every ranking point or simply someone looking for a memorable way to spend an August evening, this tournament delivers more than a typical 250-level stop has any right to.