Billie Jean King/Virginia Wade Ceremony, LGBTQ Pride Night, Salute To Strong Women Highlight New York Empire Special Events Schedule

    NEW YORK, NY, July 14, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- An opening-night celebration of all-time tennis greats Billie Jean King and Virginia Wade, LGBTQ Pride Night, Salute to Strong Women and International Night are among the special events on the inaugural New York Empire presented by Citi schedule, July 31 through August 12. The Mylan World TeamTennis squad, coached by Patrick McEnroe, will compete in six home matches at historic Forest Hills Stadium at The West Side Tennis Club.

The highlights of each event night include:
· Sunday, July 31, US Open and WTT Champions King and Wade join the Empire in a pre-match Opening Night Ceremony to launch the team's inaugural season as it takes on the five-time defending champion Washington Kastles. It is also USTA Eastern night with special discounts for members.
· Monday, August 1, Former World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki and the Philadelphia Freedoms visit.
· Wednesday, August 3, LGBTQ Pride Night, a celebration of this community's important role in New York City and Mylan WTT, in partnership with Athlete Ally (www.athleteally.com) and The LGBT Community Center of NYC when the Empire take on the Springfield Lasers. The Stonewall Chorale will sing the National Anthem.
· Tuesday, August 9, Former World No. 1 and Marquee Player Andy Roddick joins the Empire in his first appearance ever at Forest Hills Stadium in a rematch with the Kastles.
· Thursday, August 11, King heads Salute to Strong Women, a panel discussion with women who make New York great, including Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, athletes, business and philanthropic leaders and representatives from Barnard College and the Girl Scouts of Greater New York sharing their stories for an inspiring evening prior to the Empire's matchup with the Orange County Breakers.
· Friday, August 12, International Night, in which the Empire and fans will celebrate Queens, the team's home town and the most ethnically diverse urban area in the world, as they battle the San Diego Aviators in the final home match of the season. In addition, fans can participate in clinics in several languages, including Russian, Japanese, Spanish and English, prior to the matches.

"Each of our special event dates are celebrations of some of the things that make New York and tennis so great," said Empire General Manager, Colleen Hopkins. "They also serve as a thank you to fans who have expressed so much support for the inaugural New York Empire season."

In addition to marquee player Roddick, the Empire's full season roster also includes New Jersey resident Christina McHale, whose epic second-round matchup with Serena Williams was one of the highlights of the fortnight at Wimbledon. Rounding out the Empire roster are Guido Pella of Argentina and doubles specialists María Irigoyen, also of Argentina, and Oliver Marach of Austria.

Tickets for all home matches are on sale online at http://www.nyempiretennis.com. VIP ticket packages are also on sale and include Courtside Tables, Front Row Baseline Boxes and Premium Baseline Individual Tickets. VIP packages include access to full food and beverage service, hospitality opportunities with our players and coach, and much more. For full pricing details, general information, or to place an order, email Brian Healey at [email protected] or call (844) 5-EMPIRE (844-536-7473).

Fans can follow the team at http://www.NYEmpireTennis.com and on Twitter (@nyempiretennis) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/NYEmpireTennis).

About the New York Empire
The New York Empire presented by Citi will play their first season at Forest Hills Stadium at The West Side Tennis Club. The restored facility will be configured to seat 2,500 for six home matches from July 31 through August 13. Patrick McEnroe will serve as the coach of the Empire, former US Open champion Andy Roddick will be a marquee player on the team, and New Jersey native and one of the top American women, Christina McHale headlines the roster. The Empire roster also features Guido Pella of Argentina, and doubles specialists María Irigoyen also of Argentina and Oliver Marach of Austria. The stadium hosted the US Open Tennis Championships a total of 60 times, first from 1915 to 1920, and then again from 1924 to 1977. In addition, the finals of the Davis Cup were held at the club 10 times, more than any other venue. Currently, the stadium is also used as a music venue for concerts. Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Dolly Parton, and Mumford & Sons headline the 2016 Forest Hills Stadium summer concert series.

About Mylan World TeamTennis
The New York Empire is one of six Mylan World TeamTennis teams that will compete in the innovative professional team tennis league for the King Trophy, the championship trophy named after co-founder Billie Jean King. For more information on Mylan WTT, visit http://www.WTT.com.

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