Tennis, everyone?

In addition to being a high-level, United State Tennis Association-sanctioned women's tournament, the 18th Koser Jewelers Tennis Challenge offers all a chance to be involved during its weeklong run from Monday, Aug. 4, to Sunday, Aug. 10.

Admission is free to the tournament, and there is no ticketing for members of the general public. The USTA Pro Circuit event, with both singles and doubles competitions, will be held at the Hempfield recCenter, 1251 Stony Battery Road, Landisville. In addition to in-person viewing, matches will be livestreamed on the event's website, https://hempfieldrec.com/landisville-pro-circuit/. The website also features information on the events surrounding the tournament and will include the brackets once the field has been finalized, said Wilson Pipkin, who is the Hempfield recCenter's director of tennis and the event's organizer.

The Koser Inspiring Women Luncheon presented by Turbo Execs will be held Wednesday, Aug. 6, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Blue Collar Restaurant, Bar & Catering, 949 Church St., Landisville. There is a cost to attend, and people may register on the tournament website. From 11 to 11:30 a.m. there will be Meet, Mingle, and Mimosas. Lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Attendees will be able to attend the day's matches in the box seat area. The event will pay tribute to women from the area who have inspired others. People can pay for a chance to win items donated by local businesses and the tournament community partners. All proceeds will benefit Milagro House in Lancaster. "We recognize women in the community who are doing exceptional things, and we will tell their stories," Pipkin said.

High School Night will be held at 7 p.m. on Aug. 6, featuring an Around the World Challenge. Teams will rotate through the court, racing to hit a ball from each spot before the next team. The winning team will receive a pizza party during the 2025-26 tennis season.

Friday, Aug. 8, will be Kids Day. The event is free for kids age 12 and under. From 10 to 11:30 a.m., games will be held before tournament play begins. Email Catherine Shaak at shaak@ms.usta.com for more information.

On Saturday, Aug. 9, the Hempfield recCenter will host its first Wheelchair Tennis Clinic and Match Play event, which is open to wheelchair athletes of all ages and skill levels. The first 25 people who register will receive a gift bag. Check-in on the day of the event will begin at 9:30 a.m. The clinic will be held from 10 a.m. to noon, and lunch and match play will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. There is a fee, which will include lunch. Go to the Koser Jewelers Tennis Challenge website to register. Email Melissa Landis at mlandis11@outlook.com if there are questions.

Another opportunity for community members to participate is by volunteering. The list of openings can be found on the tournament website and includes jobs like working a shift in the players' lounge, running the scoreboard, being a court monitor or part of the ball crew, and serving as a VIP host. "Sponsors and volunteers are what keeps the tournament free," said Pipkin, who encourages interested volunteers to sign up early. "The key is to keep the event free, so we can promote tennis and promote a healthy sport."

The plan is working. Last year, Hempfield recCenter won an award from the USTA for being the No. 1 facility in the country for adult programming, and it also features numerous programs for youths.

The Koser Jewelers Tennis Challenge began in 2008 with a prize pool of $10,000, and that total has risen to $100,000, the maximum amount allowed for USTA circuit events. When Pipkin originally applied to host an event, the only opening on the schedule was in May. In 2013, there was a vacancy in the schedule in August, so Pippin held two tournaments that year.

The August date is advantageous for many reasons. Most significantly, the tournament takes place a couple weeks prior to the U.S. Open and is played on hardcourts just like the annual Grand Slam event in Queens, which is a train ride away from Landisville. The surface and location help enable the Hempfield recCenter event to attract players ranked in the Top 100 of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings.

Some of the most well-known players to participate in the Koser Jewelers Tennis Challenge in the past did not win the event, including Jessica Pegula, who is currently ranked third in the world. In 2021, Emma Raducanu did not make the finals of the tournament but then went on an improbable run to capture the U.S. Open title a few weeks later.

Pipkin said he will receive the full list of entries on Tuesday, July 22. There are typically between 400 and 500 applicants, with the highest-ranked players qualifying for the draw. One player is known. Pipkin is permitted to choose one wild card entrant. This year, he selected York native Elizabeth Ionescu. "It's great to have a local player, and she's one of the top junior players in the country," Pipkin said. "It's nice to give a local girl a chance to play on the bigger stage."

"You don't really know who's the next big star," said Pipkin. "You can see players here and then see them on the biggest stage in the world (at the U.S. Open). That is really cool."