Greater Midland Celebrates Tennis Classic Legacy as Tournament Concludes
2026 Dow Tennis Classic Singles Champion, Alina Charaeva
MIDLAND, Michigan – Greater Midland Tennis Center today announced the conclusion of the Tennis Classic, with the February 2026 tournament, marking the culmination of nearly four decades of professional tennis in Midland.
Looking ahead, Greater Midland Tennis Center sees the conclusion of this event as an opportunity to invest more deeply in the future of tennis and pickleball in the Great Lakes Bay Region. Greater Midland will now focus on expanding opportunities for players of all ages and skill levels and strengthening the Tennis Center's role as a premier racquet sports destination.
Since its beginning in 1989, the Tennis Classic has evolved alongside professional tennis and the Greater Midland Tennis Center. Throughout its history, the tournament has competed under both USTA and WTA sanctioning and brought some of the world's top emerging women's tennis players to Midland and created an extraordinary legacy for the region. In recent years, the tournament reached new milestones: players ranked it #3 in WTA 125 tournaments worldwide and #1 in the Americas, and it received coverage on Tennis Channel 2.
The conclusion follows Dow’s decision not to renew its title sponsorship as the company redirects its community investments toward other critical needs and opportunities to drive long-term positive impact across the region. Following that decision, Greater Midland evaluated options for the tournament’s future, including seeking an alternative title sponsor. After exploring those options, Greater Midland determined that the 2026 tournament would be the final Tennis Classic.
“It's difficult to put into words what the Tennis Classic has meant to Greater Midland, and our community,” said Terri Johnson, President and CEO of Greater Midland. “For nearly 40 years, this event has brought some of the best women's tennis players in the world to our region, created incredible experiences for our community, and helped put Midland on the map as a destination for tennis. We are incredibly grateful to Dow and all sponsors for the decades of partnership and investment that made the tournament possible. While this chapter is coming to a close, our commitment to tennis is stronger than ever.”
The evolution of the tournament mirrored the growth of the Greater Midland Tennis Center itself. The event spent more than three decades as part of the USTA professional circuit before being elevated to the WTA 125 series in 2021. That move brought a new level of international visibility to Midland and provided opportunities for some of the world's rising stars to compete on the Greater Midland Tennis Center's courts.
“We’re proud of what the tournament became, but we’re also excited about what’s ahead for the Tennis Center,” commented Jeff Rekeweg, Vice President of the Greater Midland Tennis Center. “The work we’ve done through the tournament has helped us develop lasting relationships throughout the tennis industry and build a strong foundation for executing premier events. We want to put that experience back into growing racquet sports here, whether that means getting more kids on the court, developing our players, expanding our programs, or giving our members an even better experience.”
“Every great event eventually becomes part of its own history,” Johnson said. “We are incredibly proud of what the tournament accomplished throughout the years, and we will always be thankful to all the sponsors, employees, volunteers, and fans that helped make it possible. We are excited about what comes next. The tournament may be ending, but the growth of tennis and pickleball in Midland is not.”
Having recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, Greater Midland Tennis Center is well positioned for the next 50 years following the completion of an $8 million infrastructure project. The enhancements will propel future economic growth and organizational sustainability while delivering an improved experience for players and spectators.
Greater Midland will continue to invest in programming, player development, tournaments, community partnerships and the overall experience at the Greater Midland Tennis Center.