Indianapolis likely losing ATP event after decades

INDIANAPOLIS — Organizers of the Indianapolis Tennis Championships are planning to sell the sanctioning rights for the ATP event, meaning the city may be without a professional tournament for the first time in more than 80 years.

Tournament director Kevin Martin said Monday that the event’s nonprofit group faced serious economic challenges that prompted the decision. He wouldn’t say where the tournament might move, but said a sale was expected by the end of December.

“I can confidently say that we explored every conceivable scenario to retain the tournament in Indianapolis,” Martin said.

The summer tournament on the IUPUI campus has been part of the U.S. Open Series. Its attendance reached nearly 100,000 fans when it drew stars such as John McEnroe, Pete Sampras, Bjorn Borg and Andy Roddick.

RCA ended its sponsorship deal after the 2006 event and attendance dropped to about 41,000 this year as fewer big names played.

Indianapolis-based drugmaker Eli Lilly and Co. had sponsored the tournament after RCA withdrew, but had said it couldn’t commit to the event until early next year.

“We’ve been busy with the reorganization of our company,” Lilly spokeswoman Lauren Cislak said. “We’re not in a position to commit to the sponsorship right now.”

The tournament traces its roots to 1921 when it began as the Western Open Championships. It moved to the new Indianapolis Tennis Center in 1979 and hosted the U.S. Open Clay Court Championships until it became a hardcourt tournament in 1987.