For the first time ever, the top Division 1 men’s collegiate tennis players from across the nation will travel to Little Rock. The inaugural Rockstar Passes Collegiate Tennis Challenge will be held at the Little Rock Athletic Club’s indoor courts Nov. 7 to 9.
As the first major collegiate invitational of its kind in the South, all proceeds from the tennis challenge will benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas & North Louisiana, as well as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. Friday, Nov. 8 and Saturday, Nov. 9 mark tournament play days, for which the platform will be double-elimination, best two out of three sets.
On Thursday, Tito’s Courts & Cocktails will kick off the event with a silent auction, player introductions, sponsor recognitions, the revelation of tournament brackets food and drinks. According to former Arkansas Razorback tennis player and current voice of the Arkansas Razorback men’s tennis program, Jack Lankford, guests on Thursday evening could be in for a special surprise. However, official details have not been announced at this time.
“There may be some special guest speakers in attendance on Thursday for the VIP reception to help kick off the tournament, in the tennis world,” Lankford said.
VIP admission to Thursday’s event is $100 and includes the weekend of tennis, as well. General admission is $20 and will allow guests unlimited tennis Friday and Saturday.
Tickets can be purchased online at collegiatetennischallenge.com.
In an effort to support and encourage a love of tennis in the community, children 18 and younger will have free admission to the tournament, and the first 100 kids will receive a large tennis ball sponsored by DMGilliam Capital Management to receive autographs of players on.
“We have a growing tennis community that needs something like this. We wanted to bring an event to the Arkansas tennis community like no other,” said Brad Rickett, founder and executive director of Collegiate Tennis Challenge. “These are some of the top collegiate players, and what better way to showcase, right here in Little Rock, than at one of finest facilities while giving back to our community.”
Lankford said this tournament is going to be great for the area and could not be done without the Little Rock Athletic Club. While inaugural events can be challenging in nature, LRAC Communications Director Kelly Wortsmith Snook said that everyone can rest assured that the staff and members are fully backing this tournament.
“We want to say how excited we are to be part of this event. It aligns perfectly with our love of tennis and our commitment to fostering healthy families,” Snook said.“We are going to do our best to make it a fantastic experience for players and fans alike, and we cannot wait to raise a whole bunch of money for St. Jude and the Ronald McDonald House.”
The tournament will feature 16 D1 men’s college tennis players, who are guaranteed to play a minimum of two matches. Over the course of the two tournament days, there will be a main and consolation draw, in which players will compete for the title.
The Troy University Trojans and Wichita State University Shockers will also be represented at this tournament, and the remaining players have yet to be announced.
“This is going to be a great weekend of tennis here in Little Rock, especially at the Little Rock Athletic Club. I can’t thank Kelly, Frank [Lawrence, CEO] and everybody at the athletic club more,” Rickett said. “There will be plenty of food, drinks and tournament merchandise available, and I look forward to seeing everybody the first weekend of November.”
Proceeds from merchandise sales will also support the charities. Those looking to get involved with the tournament are encouraged to email the tournament organizers at director@collegiatetennischallenge.com.
“I want to acknowledge our presenting sponsors, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, RockStar Passes and the Little Rock Athletic Club. Also, I’d like to acknowledge our ACE sponsors, Horton & Horton, Advanced Pathology Solutions, and First Community Bank,” Rickett said. “Our hotel sponsor is the Wingate by Wyndham on Shackleford Road. We also have a serving volley sponsor, Dr. Nair and Dr. Nair, and then our official ball sponsor, DMGillum Capital Management. We appreciate the individual sponsors and all of the sponsors that are listed on our website.”
AY Media Group is the media sponsor for the Collegiate Tennis Challenge.
The colleges and players participating in this tournament
• University of Arkansas Razorbacks (Ranked No. 31) Four players will represent the Razorbacks, including French native Arthur Bellegy, who transferred from the Lobos of New Mexico, and Lukas Palovic, a redshirt freshman from Slovakia.
• University of Memphis Tigers (Ranked No. 27) The Tigers will be represented by Sam Reeve, a redshirt sophomore and member of the Great Britain National Team, and Michael Kouame, a freshman and Top 10 player from Paris.
• Oral Roberts University Golden Eagles Ricardo Filho and Eli Brewer, who are both named to the 2024 All-Academic Team, will represent the Golden Eagles.
• Oklahoma State University Cowboys (Ranked No. 29) Two players will represent the Cowboys. They are Isaac Becroft, who is currently ranked as No. 41 in the country, and sophomore Derek Pham.
• Mississippi State University Bulldogs The Bulldogs, which happen to be coached by Arkansas native and UA graduate Matt Roberts, will send Italian native freshman Niccolo Baroni, who holds a world ranking of 1069 for singles and 1394 for doubles. Georgia Tech Fall Invitational doubles title winner Marshall Landry will also be representing the ‘Dogs.
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