See the No. 1 ranked tennis player in an exhibition match on March 2.
In November of last year, Mexico hosted the largest tennis match in history with one of the greatest all-time players, Roger Federer. That exhibition match (also featuring Alexander Zverev) was played in front of a reported 42,517 spectators. In February of this year, South Africa is slated to beat that record after selling more than 50,000 tickets in just 10 minutes for an exhibition featuring Federer and Rafael Nadal. Atlanta will soon be part of this exclusive circle of cities that are selling out stadiums to host the best tennis players in history.
The Premier Live Atlanta Challenge will offer a once-in-a-lifetime chance for local tennis fans to see World #1 Rafael Nadal and former World #3 Grigor Dimitrov at the Infinite Energy Arena on Mar. 2, 2020. The goal is to create the most extraordinary single-night event in Atlanta’s famed tennis history, according to Premier Live’s Trevor Short and Remington Reynolds.
Eight years ago, Short and Reynolds partnered with Sir Richard Branson to create the Necker Cup, which many consider to be the best pro-am in the world. Nadal, who almost never plays in these types of events, chose Atlanta in large part because of his experience with the Necker Cup. He also appreciates Atlanta’s reputation for being the best and most philanthropic tennis city in America. Nadal’s charity, The Rafa Nadal Foundation, is at the center of almost everything he does, and a portion of the all proceeds from the Premier Live Atlanta Challenge will benefit his foundation as well as the National Tennis Foundation, created by Short and Reynolds.
“We want Rafa to feel our love and appreciation for him choosing Atlanta,” Short said. “He can go anywhere in the world [to host a charity event] and he chose Atlanta. It’s a huge deal.”
This unique event also will include a private, 100-person charity dinner on March 1 at Umi Japanese restaurant in Buckhead. Ticket holders for this exclusive experience will have the chance to meet Nadal and Dimitrov, to take photos and much more.
“If we were going to do something in Atlanta, we wanted it to be big. We wanted it to be special,” Short said.
Nadal had a busy 2019 season, winning two grand slam titles, clinching the No. 1 ranking, and helping Spain win Davis Cup. Premier Live considers this upcoming event a meaningful way to raise funds while celebrating the sport they love most, in the city they love most, with arguably one of the best players in history.
“Nadal and Dimitrov are incredibly dedicated athletes and humanitarians, and this is yet another example of their desire to do good,” said Short. Emceeing the evening will be the legendary father and coach of the Bryan brothers, Wayne Bryan. “Wayne and I have done more than 20 events together since 2008. He is the best,” Short added.
Those who have spent time with Short and Reynolds know they’ve mastered the meaning of “having a good time.” Nadal has experienced that firsthand as well, making for an incredible partnership.
“This city has seen a lot of great tennis,” Short said. “We already have the BB&T Atlanta Open [Presented by First Data], and while [fans] certainly get to see some very good players, they’ve never seen the likes of Rafael Nadal. This exhibition becomes our gift to Atlanta’s tennis community.”
Tickets for the exhibition start at $75 and can be found at Premierlive.com. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. with a special performance from Yacht Rock Revue at 6:45 p.m. The tennis match is scheduled to start at 8:00 p.m.
