For the first time, the University of Iowa will host a professional tennis tournament.

The Old Capitol Futures Tournament, an official U.S. Tennis Association tournament, is being held at the Hawkeye Tennis & Recreation Complex.

Alex Voss, a lecturer in sport recreation management and tournament director, said one of his career goals was to work for a major tennis tournament. He believes the UI and the Hawkeye tennis center would be a great facility to host an event such as this.

“Once my family made the decision to move to Iowa City and I saw this facility, I thought this would be a perfect setup for the community, the facility, and just a great platform to showcase pro tennis,” Voss said.

Voss originally reached out to the tennis association about hosting a tournament in the summer of 2019 in November 2017. However, when he learned that there might be an opportunity to host an event this summer, he moved forward with it.

Before plans for the tournament could be completed, the tennis association had to inspection the courts, and that couldn’t happen until March, when the snow melted. The final contract wasn’t completed until May, and Voss said most of the work has had to be done since then.

“It was a quick turnaround time for us to be able to do it,” Voss said.

In addition to helping Voss achieve his personal goals, the event also helps sports recreation and management students work toward their degrees. As part of the program, the sports management and recreation students need to gather field experience.

UI senior Michael Cope, one of the students in the program who helps to run the tournament, said putting on a tournament with five interns and one supervisor was a lot of work and has provided him with valuable field experience.

“I didn’t realize how much actually went into an event like this,” he said. “Just all the different aspects, especially put on with a limited number of people.”

Cope along with the other students, have done everything from creating a website and social-media platforms for the tournament to designing T-shirts for them and the athletes, hiring officials, and providing accommodations for the visiting athletes, including hotels and catered food.

The event has a budget of $60,000 funded by a family in the area who support Iowa athletics and the sports recreation management program. They wanted to help host the tournament.

Voss said he wants the event to continue in the future and wants to have students find sponsorships to raise money for the tournament.

The tournament features a 64-player qualifying round with 32 participants in the main draw. It also features 16 doubles teams. The tournament includes Hawkeye athletes, other college athletes, locals, and professional athletes from around the country and the world. The tourney will award $25,000 in prize money when it concludes July 22.

The tournament also provides a unique opportunity for Hawkeye tennis players who are involved. Iowa junior tennis player Jason Kerst said head men’s tennis coach Ross Wilson encouraged him and other Hawkeye tennis players to play with, watch, and learn from all of the other athletes playing in the tournament.

“We have some of the top players in the world here on campus this week, and it’s a really good opportunity,” Kerst said.

The Old Capitol Futures Tournament runs through July 22 at the tennis center and is free for to the public.