TEMPLETON, August 15, 2025 (by Steve Pratt)

While current stars on the WTA Tour like Jessica Pegula, Taylor Townsend, Ashlyn Krueger and McCartney Kessler have their eyes set on the US Open starting next week in New York City, just two weeks after the Open dozens of rising stars looking to reach that next level will invade the Central Coast once again as tournament officials have announced the dates for the upcoming Central Coast Tennis Classic.

This year’s annual event will be played once again at the Templeton Tennis Ranch, Sept. 22-28, with top American and international players competing for $60,000 in total prize money and valuable WTA Ranking points.

Before each Grand Slam tournament, Templeton Tennis Ranch President and GM Chris Fouquet said he counts past alums, like the players listed above, who have played in the event since its inception in 2017 and typically finds around 75 to 80 former CCTC players in the singles, doubles and mixed doubles draws. This year’s US Open will be no different.

“It’s always fun to look up and track our former players and to see them rising in the rankings and progressing at the world’s biggest tennis tournaments,” Fouquet said. “The Central Coast Tennis Classic offers such a unique opportunity to watch, up close, some of the players who may one day be the next superstars of women’s tennis.”

Just two years ago, CCTC singles champion Taylor Townsend came to Templeton focused on raising her singles ranking. Currently No. 75 in the world and always a threat in singles, it’s on the doubles court where Townsend is considered the best in the world currently holding down the World No. 1 ranking and collecting two Grand Slams – the 2024 Wimbledon and 2025 Australian Open titles – since her 2023 title in Templeton.

The tournament is part of the ITF World Tennis Tour / USTA Pro Circuit. The event is open to the public; tickets start at $25 and are available at: www.centralcoasttennisclassic.com,