Irving Mejia-Hilario/SBJ
Experimentation will be the key to success and growth for ATP Dallas Open leaders in the years to come as they look to the start of the tournament Feb. 1 at its newest home, The Star in Frisco, Texas.
After spending the last three years 20 miles south at Southern Methodist University, the new venue presents event organizers with a slew of options for general admission and premium seating along with 37 total sponsors and new activations within and outside the multi-purpose Ford Center.
The Dallas Open and its owner, GF Sports & Entertainment, has a five-year contract with the Dallas Cowboys to host the event at The Star with an option to extend for a sixth year. This year’s event will be an opportunity for leaders such as Peter Lebedevs, EVP of tennis operations for GFS&E and Dallas Open tournament director, to see how fans and players react to the new amenities.
“We’re hearing so many great things from our partners. But the biggest challenge this year has been that we don’t have pictures to show, just renderings. We have to ask them to trust us,” Lebedevs said. “But between the reputation we carry and our partners, there’s a lot to be excited about. There’s a lot we still have planned for 2026, but we didn’t want to bite off more than we could chew.”
The buildout for the event started Jan. 22 with at least 20 workers always on staff 24 hours a day putting together temporary structures like seating and an outdoor plaza, the courts and wellness facilities for players.
GFS&E purchased the 250-level tournament in 2015 and has operated it ever since. The event started in Memphis and ran as such until 2017 before moving to New York until 2020 and eventually landing in North Texas in 2022.
This year’s event promises to be the biggest yet as the facility can hold triple the capacity of SMU’s Styslinger Altec Tennis Complex, which could only hold 2,000 spectators. Premium seating alone has increased by almost 1,500 with some options like club seating already selling out.
Standard ticket prices for a single session start at $40 with weeklong packages reaching a total price of more than $1,000. Meanwhile, premium seating like a Sideline Club weeklong pass goes for $2,200 per seat and Comfort Loge weeklong passes cost $3,000 per seat. Courtside boxes, which include access to the new Choctaw Club, parking passes and a meet and greet, range between $8,900 to $14,500.
Being at The Star makes the lives of marketers like Justine Pletnick, VP of marketing and revenue strategy for GFS&E, much easier as she begins to plan for what comes after 2025, she said. This year’s event has 17 new sponsors including Choctaw Casinos, Hugo Boss, Kendra Scott and local partners Alto and Baylor Scott & White. GFS&E handles sponsorship sales in house.
“The space is perfect and helps grow our footprint as we take everything to the next level,” Pletnick said. “This year is all about setting the bar and giving people a reason to put their faith in us. But we could bring two 500 level events here with women’s and men’s one day. So when we talk about growth, that’s our future. But, for now, we just need to deliver to the local community.”
Beyond its new sponsors and activations, some additions for this year’s event includes SeatGeek taking on ticketing and Legends providing food and beverage options throughout the venue.
