02.22.2024

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Today’s Forecast

🎾 Game, set, match

Top tennis players return to Austin this weekend for the second ATX Open

A tennis court as seen from above, with stands in the background.

The ATX Open returns to Westwood Country Club this weekend. | Photo by ATXtoday

Austin’s premier women’s tennis event — and one of only a few pro-level women’s tennis tournaments in the US — returns for its sophomore year this weekend.

Fans will flock to the Westwood Country Club from Saturday, Feb. 24 to Sunday, March 3 for the ATX Open, where some of the sport’s most prestigious players will compete for the title.

Here’s what to know about the fast-paced festivities.

Who’s playing?

Top-ranked singles players competing in the ATX Open include:

Belarus-born Victoria Azarenka (No. 27)
Americans Sloane Stephens (No. 41) and Danielle Collins (No. 46), both of whom played in last year’s tournament
Former Longhorn Peyton Stearns (No. 65)

Don’t miss the doubles matches — the dynamic duos hitting the courts this year include:

Italian Sara Errani (No. 67) and Georgian Oksana Kalashnikova (No. 53)
China-born Shuai Zhang (No. 75) and Russian-born Kazakhstani player Anna Danilina (No. 47)
Americans Sophie Chang (No. 83) and Angela Kulikov (No. 103)

See the full lineup.

Ukranian Marta Kostyuk won the first ever singles title in the ATX Open.
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Photo courtesy of the ATX Open

Who won last year?

Ukrainian Marta Kotyuk — currently ranked No. 30 in singles — defeated France’s Varvara Gracheva in the final singles match of the tournament to win the first ever ATX Open. In doubles, New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe and Indonesia’s Aldila Sutjiadi took home the gold.

The players had quite the crowd to entertain, as the tournament drew nearly 18,000 fans. This year, the tournament will feature expanded seating and hospitality offerings, a new Owner’s Club, and new opening weekend fan activities.

How can I get tickets?

Single-session tickets are sold out for qualifying days but are still available for all other rounds of the tournament, ranging from $28 to $99. Full series packages start at $735, and ramp up to $1,484 for VIP seating or $14,000 for a four-seat box.

Events

Thursday, Feb. 22

KMFA’s Offbeat Series: INSECTUM | Thursday, Feb. 22 | 6-9 p.m. | Draylen Mason Music Studio at KMFA, 41 Navasota St., Austin | $30 | This event dives into the fascinating, although often overlooked, lives of arthropods
Cirque du Soleil: “Crystal” | Now-Sunday, Feb. 25 | Times vary | H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, 2100 Ave. of the Stars, Cedar Park | $55-$155 | See magic unfold onstage in the form of aerial acrobatics and feats of strength and agility.

Friday, Feb. 23

Excision | Friday, Feb. 23 | 6 p.m. | The Moody Center, 2001 Robert Dedman Dr., Austin | $84-$325 | Special guests ATLiens, Ray Volpe, Emorfik, and Jkyl & hyde will also perform at this event.
Nosferatu Festival | Friday, Feb. 23-Sunday, Feb. 25 | Times vary | Multiple locations, Austin | $5-$80 | Celebrate Count Orlok at this fest featuring the “Daywalker Bazaar” at Come and Take It Live! and “Nightstalker Parties” at Kick Butt Coffee.

Saturday, Feb. 24

“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” in Concert | Saturday, Feb. 24 | Times vary | Bass Concert Hall, 2350 Robert Dedman Dr., Austin | $61-$125 | John Williams’ magical score will be played live alongside a high-definition screening of the movie.
Poetry Out Loud | Saturday, Feb. 24 | 1-4 p.m. | Bullock Texas State History Museum, 1800 Congress Ave., Austin | Free | The statewide winner of the recitation competition will compete at the national competition in Washington DC.

Sunday, Feb. 25

“Show Way: The Musical” | Sunday, Feb. 25 | 3 p.m. | The Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Ave., Austin | $18-$25 | This musical follows a Show Way, or secret quilt bearing the path to freedom for enslaved people, as it is passed down through generations.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

Plan Ahead

Hack your health at this three-day wellness event

a gif featuring images from the 2023 hack your health conference

Connect with professionals at the three-day event to see how you can “hack your health.” | Photos provided by Q1 Productions; Gif created by ATXtoday

ICYMI, tickets are now on sale for Hack Your Health, a three-day wellness conference highlighting cutting-edge ways to efficiently manage your health.

From Friday, May 31-Sunday, June 2, join like-minded people at the Palmer Events Center to:

Learn from 60+ expert speakers
Participate in interactive experiences (think: cold plunges and fitness classes),
Watch cooking demos
and so much more

Pro tip: Use code ATX50 for $50 off all ticket types (excluding the virtual replay pass).

Grab tickets (before they sell out)

News Notes

Closing

The 40-year-old Austin Antique Mall will close on Wednesday, May 15 to make room for expanded Playland Skate Center facilities. The mall currently houses 90 vendors, some of which have been operating out of the building since 1984. (Austin American-Statesman)

Coming Soon

Love & Cookies, a new bakery headed to 1701 S. Lamar Blvd., is expected to open sometime next month. The new shop will offer cookies, brownies, cakes, coffee, and ice cream, plus gluten- and dairy-free items. (Eater Austin)

Announced

San Antonio Spurs player Victor Wembanyama is the new brand ambassador for Louis Vuitton. The luxury fashion line designed “Wemby’s” suit for NBA Draft Night 2023. Psst — see the star in action at the upcoming I-35 Series in Austin. (KVUE)

Closed

Smash ATX, a Downtown table tennis bar and restaurant, closed permanently this past weekend. The site — which previously housed Spin and Antone’s — may be demolished to make room for a hotel. (Eater Austin)

Concert

Peso Pluma — a Grammy Award winner with more than 58 million monthly listeners on Spotify — will visit the Moody Center on his “ÉXODO” tour. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday, Feb. 23 at 12 p.m.

Ranked

Next time you’re white-knuckling the steering wheel on MoPac, here’s some affirmation for you. Austin is No. 24 in the country for bad driving, according to Forbes Advisor. However, that’s a lower ranking than Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, and San Antonio.

Sports

Should Luka Dončić have made more of a splash at the NBA All-Star Game? Get the biggest stories every day from the local experts of the Dallas Mavericks with Locked On’s daily podcasts.

Home

Getting organized? This 24-piece glass storage container set is perfect for meal prep or storing leftovers and is on sale through the weekend.*

Culture

🧠 Your brain on Austin

What does geopsychology say about a city’s personality?

The Austin skyline, as seen from between trees on the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail.

How would you characterize Austin’s personality? | Photo by ATXtoday

Does where we live have any bearing on our personalities? A growing field of psychological research called geopsychology says “yes.”

According to geopsychology, those from Austin, TX are likely more extroverted than their friends across the nation in, say, Seattle. And while you may have heard about that good ol’ southern charm, now there may be a form of scientific proof to back it up.

In other words, there’s a correlation between one’s geophysical space and one’s mind. In particular, research on the “Big Five” traits — conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness, and extroversion — has led researchers to create a set of personality maps for the US.

Based on these maps, Austin is characterized as:

Slightly less conscientious
Less agreeable
Slightly more emotionally stable
More open
Slightly less extroverted

Asked

How Austin are you?

Take this quiz to see how well your personality matches Austin’s geopsychology profile.

Take the quiz

The Buy

The Buy 2.22.24 (Affiliate + Six & Main)

A memory foam knee pillow for side sleepers, which can help protect spine alignment and support knee joints while you sleep. Bonus: Choose standard or large for a pillow that’s sized right for your body.

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
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From the editor

I’ve been documenting my walks through the city on our Instagram page, and I’d love a little inspiration on where to go next.

Where are your favorite trails in ATX?

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