In 2019, the “World Cup of tennis,” made its way to San Antonio. The Fed Cup World Group Playoffs, the premier women’s international tennis competition, hadn’t been played in Texas since its inception in 1963. The two-day event saw some of the world’s best tennis players match up in a U.S. vs Switzerland showdown.
About 10,000 spectators watched the matches at Freeman Coliseum. The days leading up to the event also included tennis programming for 1,000 local kids. A comeback singles win from Sophia Kenin and a dominating singles win from Sloane Stephens cemented a win for the U.S., who were now 9-0 against Switzerland all-time in the Fed Cup. The U.S. would go on to fall to Australia in the quarterfinals in North Carolina.
The 2019 Fed Cup World Group Playoffs was the first major tennis event in San Antonio in 28 years, since Steffi Graf won the 1991 U.S. Hardcourt Championships at McFarlin Tennis Center. San Antonio has continued to bolster its tennis resume since, including the inaugural San Antonio International Team Tennis Championships in 2023, with an appearance from Venus Williams, benefiting the San Antonio Sports i play! program and several other non-profits.