CopperWynd Resort and Club, in association with the United States Tennis Association, will host the Women’s Pro Challenge from Nov. 8-15.

A week of community activities is planned to coincide with this national event.

The CopperWynd Women’s $50,000 Pro Challenge, a USTA Pro Circuit event, is the largest women’s professional tennis tournament in Arizona and one of only two women’s professional tennis tournaments in the state.

The CopperWynd Pro Challenge will feature several community tennis events throughout the week, including a Kids’ Day to kick off the tournament Saturday, Nov. 7.

Other events include a Tennis Para Todos family clinic, a Veteran’s Day clinic and complimentary entry to earlier rounds of the competition. A full schedule of events can be found at arizonachallenger.com.

Organizers are also on the lookout for event sponsors. The $500 Community Business Sponsor level includes a banner at the event, two invites to the sponsor/player party or a VIP suite on the finals weekend, and two spectator tickets for the semi-final and final rounds.

Every Community Business Sponsor will also select, or have the Town of Fountain Hills select, a child who will receive eight weeks of tennis instruction, two round robin social play events after the tournament, as well as a plaque to be hung within the business including a picture of the child who was granted this opportunity.

For ticket or sponsorship information, contact Scott McCulloch at 239-246-5303 or email s.mcculloch@cliffdrysdale.com.

The field for the CopperWynd Women’s $50,000 Pro Challenge will feature 32 singles players and 16 doubles teams.

Tournaments at the $50,000 level typically draw players ranked anywhere from No. 100 to 500 in the WTA Tour world rankings.

According to tournament organizers, these events are stepping stones to WTA Tour premier events and Grand Slam tournaments like the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

Each year more than half the players in the U.S. Open Women’s draw have either played, or are currently playing, on the USTA Pro Circuit, including American up-and-coming stars like CiCi Bellis.

CopperWynd’s inaugural tournament will be the last leg of the Australian Open Wild Card Challenge, in which the American woman who earns the most WTA ranking points at two of the three chosen USTA Pro Circuit events will receive a wildcard to compete in the Australian Open main draw.

“It is very exciting to host a tournament in this series,” said McCulloch, vice president of operations for Cliff Drysdale Tennis Management and the CopperWynd Pro Challenge Tournament director.

“The CopperWynd Pro Challenge will provide spectators with a chance to see these up and coming players in an intimate setting and then cheer for them at the Grand Slams.”

Livestreaming of the event will be available this year via the USTA Pro Circuit website at USTA.com. Interested spectators are encouraged to check the website during the event to view the stream if they are unable to make it in person.