Pro tennis in South Dakota? Hear from the tournament director leading a historic event

For the first time ever, pro tennis has arrived in South Dakota.

The MarketBeat Open is a Challenger event held this week in Sioux Falls, and features some of the game’s established names and young upstarts with a lot on the line. Each year the USTA awards a wild card selection that receives a main draw entry into the Australian Open, and this fall there are four events that count towards securing that coveted spot in Melbourne. The race starts with The MarketBeat Open—a historic event that has tremendous implications on this season and beyond.

Tournament director Mark Vellek joined the Inside-In Podcast to discuss how pro tennis landed in his home state, his role overseeing the event, and why there is a buzz in the Sioux Falls air for the pro game.

The Road to Melbourne starts in Sioux Falls... A lot is at stake for these guys. Mark Vellek, MarketBeat Open tournament director

Vellek is the perfect man to run point for The MarketBeat Open, because he knows the game and he knows the region exceptionally well. A college tennis player at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Vellek drifted away from the sport in his professional career before his heart called him back to it. He returned to his native South Dakota and began working for Huether Family Match Pointe, working as a high-performance coach and carrying on the organization’s motto of developing healthy people through the lifetime sport of tennis. When the opportunity to host a pro tennis tournament came up, there was simply nobody more prepared to lead the charge.

“I didn’t get to play tournaments in Sioux Falls, we had to travel to every tournament,” Vellek recalled. “The opportunities here have changed so much. So now to escalate it to the point where a professional tournament is coming to Sioux Falls, South Dakota... Maybe 10, 15, 20 years ago it was unthinkable.”

The event is being held at The Huether Family Match Pointe club, which is located on the state-of-the-art Sanford Sports Complex. Everything about the facility is first-class, from the 10 indoor tennis courts to the spaces designed for recreation and relaxation. The residents of Sioux Falls are excited to witness tennis up close, and not just because of curiosity. This is a town that is passionate about sports, from their South Dakota State Jackrabbits to the G-League basketball program. And Vellek explains that events and one-off competitions are equally popular, as the residents love watching elite level athletes in person.

“When professional sporting events like this come to town, the community really gets behind it and supports it,” the tournament director stated. “The PGA (senior golf) guys come here and they say they love coming to Sioux Falls, because it’s literally the biggest crowds that they have all year long. So when these events come it’s a great draw and experience for the community.”

This year’s MarketBeat Open features a deep draw of talented players, headlined by 2023 Wimbledon quarterfinalist Chris Eubanks. The top seed is looking to regain the form that elevated his game and profile last season, and he has the opportunity to do just that. Other entries in the draw include rising 21-year-old Zachary Svajda, and fellow American Mitchell Krueger, who reached the second round of the US Open as a qualifier. And with an Australian Open main draw spot up for grabs, the city of Sioux Falls is in for a great level of competition on the courts.

“The Road to Melbourne starts in Sioux Falls,” Vellek said. “A lot is at stake for these guys. Those types of things can change careers, if you get there and you get on a roll. So yeah it is pretty special to have that added emphasis on our event, kicking off that series.”

The action is underway at the MarketBeat Open, with the tournament concluding on October 27^th.

Mark Vellek is ready for this monumental event, and as the tournament director so eloquently stated on the Inside-In Podcast, South Dakota is ready to prove that they love their tennis.

View draws, buy tickets and follow the action at MarketBeatOpen.com.