Team tennis is coming back to Pittsburgh in October, but it will be a one-night engagement.
World TeamTennis is bringing its 20th annual fundraising event to Pittsburgh this year. Since the event's inception it has raised $10.5 million to fight AIDS and HIV. The bulk of the funds raised will go to the Elton John AIDS Foundation, but a portion will be sent to the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force.
Tennis great Billie Jean King and musician Elton John team up for the annual event. King will coach one team while John coaches the other. Kloss said Andre Agassi, Stefanie Graff, and Andy Roddick will be among the tennis pros donating their time.
"It has a VIP Reception that has a $500 ticket… most of those funds will stay locally," said World TeamTennis CEO Ilana Kloss. "In addition to that, 50% of the funds that we raise at the auction will also stay here locally."
Tickets go on sale July 16th for the event at the Peterson Event Center. The price ranges from $40 to $125. Ticket holders will see a full world team tennis match, which includes a set of men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles, and mixed doubles.
"The most interesting thing you will see is Elton John play tennis," said Kloss. The knighted singer/songwriter plays a celebrity/pro set to kick off the evening. "He is very, very serious about his tennis, he travels with a tennis pro… he has a huge forehand."
Pittsburgh was home to one of the World TeamTennis Pro League's first teams. The Pittsburgh Triangles competed in the 1974, '75, and '76 seasons with names such as Evonne Goolagong and Vitas Gerulaitis. The team took the league championship in 1997.