A rendering of the stadium at the ATX Open

The ATX Open will be the biggest women’s tennis tournament in Texas. | Rendering courtesy Drop Shot Tournament Series

The inaugural ATX Open is slated to be the biggest women’s tennis event in the state of Texas, and one of just four women’s-only professional tournaments in the US.

Coupled with the fact that tennis is one of the most-watched women’s sports in the world and 17,000+ Austinites play the sport regularly, tournament director Christo Van Rensburg thinks it’s about time.

“This is bringing that missing piece to Austin,” he said.

The week-long tournament will host renowned athletes and local stars, including — as was announced Thursday — Peyton Stearns, a Texas Longhorn currently approaching the top 200 in world rankings.

Ahead of the event, which begins Monday, Feb. 27 and is a part of the Hologic WTA Tour, we spoke with Christo about how the tournament came to the Capital City and what visitors can expect.

‘Everything just came together’

The decision to host a women’s tournament was an easy one, as Christo describes it.

“When you look at the Austin market, and you look at all the companies that are coming in here and want to invest in any sport, it’s all male dominated. You’ve got baseball, you’ve got football, you’ve got Austin FC, you’ve got F1,” he said. “We want to support women athletes.”

ATX_SloaneStephens — Sloane Stephens is one of the US players competing in the ATX Open.

What to expect at the event

In addition to Stearns, US players Danielle Collins, currently ranked No. 11 in the world, and No. 36 Sloane Stephens have confirmed they’ll be two of the 32 competitors in the ATX Open’s singles bracket. Another 16 doubles teams will also compete.

“Bring your friends and family, kids, because it’s going to be great,” Christo said. “You’ll be so close to the players to get autographs, to go and sit right next to the practice courts and watch them fine tune their game.”

Click the button below to find out more, including why this year is a special one for women’s tennis.

APPROACH THE NET

EVENTS

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Friday, Jan. 20

THE DOLLY DISCO | Friday, Jan. 20 | 7:30-11:59 p.m. | Empire Garage, 606 E. 7th St., Austin | $15 | Pay homage to the queen of country music at this Western Disco dance party.
Ride the Wave | Now-Saturday, Jan. 28 | Times vary | The VORTEX, 2307 Manor Rd., Austin | $15-$37 | This multimedia performance depicts three brothers searching for an epic surf to end their summer.

Saturday, Jan. 21

Robert Wagner’s Black Crowes Experience | Saturday, Jan. 21 | 8:30 p.m. | 3TEN at ACL Live, 310 W. Willie Nelson Blvd., Austin | $25 | Jam out to American Rock Band’s catalog performed by this nine-piece group.

Sunday, Jan. 22

Indie Meme January 2023 Shorts Showcase | Sunday, Jan. 22 | 3 p.m. | Austin Film Society Cinema, 6406 N. IH-35, Ste. 3100, Austin | $6-$12 | Local film organizations are showcasing five short films and hosting Q+As with filmmakers.
3M Half Marathon 2023 | Sunday, Jan. 22 | 7-10 a.m. | 9700 Stonelake Blvd., 9700 Stonelake Blvd., Austin | $89-$189 | New runners and old pros are welcome to race this course to downtown Austin.

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

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Quality should never be a luxury

Two women wearing high-quality, neutral-colored cashmere sweaters sit on the beach together.

Quince delivers high-quality essentials at affordable prices, directly from the factory to you. | Photo by Quince

You deserve to have nice things. At Quince, you can treat yourself to the finer things in life. We’re talking 100% Mongolian cashmere, washable silk, Italian leather, 14K gold, European linen + more everyday luxuries — always up to 80% less than other brands, always with free shipping + returns for 365 days.

Plus, Quince partners with responsible factories around the world and bypasses the traditional retail middlemen, so you can sustainably elevate your life at affordable prices.*

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NEWS NOTES

Weather

55º | Cloudy | 15% chance of rain

Closing

All four locations of Austin’s Daily Juice Cafe are permanently closing after this Sunday, Jan. 22. The two-decade-old local chain was facing inflation coupled with increasing rent. (Austin American-Statesman)

Edu

Richard Rhodes, Chancellor of Austin Community College, will retire at the end of this year to spend more time with family. After serving 12 years in the role, Rhodes is the longest-serving chancellor in ACC history. 📓 (Austin Business Journal)

Plan Ahead

Patty LuPone is bringing a little bit of Broadway to the Capital City on Monday, May 1. The three-time Tony Award winner will perform a one-woman show and classic tunes at the Long Center — get tickets here. 🎭
The George Washington Carver Museum will host several programs themed on “Black Resistance” in February. Check out the schedule to plan a time to see panels, film screenings, and performances.

Development

San Francisco-based Prologis Inc. will build a 629,000-sqft industrial park in Cedar Park. Construction on the project — which will include five buildings — is expected to begin as soon as this spring. 🏗 (Austin Business Journal)

Community

Millie Thompson Williams was inaugurated as the first female second chief of the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas earlier this month. The role involves acting as a cultural advisor and ambassador. (The Texas Tribune)

Travel

Heading abroad in 2023? Babbel offers lesson plans for 12 different languages spoken throughout Europe (where 59% of our readers plan on traveling to in 2023). Prep for the trip of your dreams with bite-sized, 10-minute lessons that will help you learn the new language in as little as three weeks. 🌏 *

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Events

Ring in the Year of the Rabbit 🐰

Performers dancing at Wu Chow's Lunar New Year celebration

Wu Chow’s Lunar New Year celebration will benefit Austin Pets Alive! this year. | Photo courtesy Wu Chow.

This Sunday, Jan. 22, is the Lunar New Year, a celebration of the start of spring and a new year on the lunisolar calendar.

The holiday is one of the most important days of the year for Eastern and Southeastern Asian cultures, so we’re rounding up five ways to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit in ATX.

‘Year of the Rabbit’ — Chinese New Year at Wu Chow | Monday, Jan. 23 | 5-9 p.m. | Wu Chow, 500 W. 5th St., #168, Austin | Free | This annual celebration benefits Austin Pets Alive! and includes food, drink, lion dancers, and a photo booth.

2023 Lunar New Year Festival | Sunday, Jan. 22 | 11 a.m.-4 p.m. | The Paper + Craft Pantry, 1023 Springdale Rd., Austin | Donation-based | Shop from two dozen vendors of Asian descent and enjoy a lion + dragon dance performance.

Click the button below for more local events.

PLAN YOUR WEEKEND

THE WRAP

A hand holding the Pretty Woman playbill in front of a stage — Let us know what theater events you want us to cover.

Today’s issue was written by London.

Editor’s pick: City Editor Figi and I were able to see Pretty Woman: The Musical at Bass Concert Hall this week, and I’m still thinking about the ballroom dancing scene.

What local shows do you have on your radar? Keep us in the loop.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Localize your playlist with these Austin musicians.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Laura Figi, London Gibson, Britt Thorson, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

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