Milwaukee Tennis Classic celebrates 50th anniversary

The premier college tournament returns Sept. 10-13.

CHERNEY AMHARA. >> WELCOME TO 12. NEWS AT FOUR CONTINUES WITH THE PRESTIGIOUS COLLEGE TENNIS TOURNAMENT CELEBRATING 50 YEARS. HARD TO BELIEVE MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY COACHING LEGEND ALMA MCGUIRE HELPED FOUND THE MILWAUKEE TENNIS CLASSIC IN 1975. THE EVENT ATTRACTS TOP ATHLETES AND MEN’S AND WOMEN’S COLLEGE SPORTS FROM ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THIS YEAR’S EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE IN SEPTEMBER. ONE OF THE OTHER FOUNDERS, CHRIS MULCAHY, JOINING US NOW LIVE, CHRIS, I MEAN, JESS, JESS. SORRY, SORRY, JESS, TAKE ME BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF THIS. >> I MEAN, IT’S EXCITING. I WAS 1975 AND TENNIS STADIUM WAS BEING CONSTRUCTED BY MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY. AND MY TENNIS COACH, I HAD PLAYED THERE SAID, YOU SHOULD COME OVER AND SEE THIS. AND I LOOKED AT IT AND I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, THEY’RE PUTTING A BUILDING UP HERE. WE COULD START A NATIONAL TOURNAMENT. YEAH. SO I WENT TO AL MCGUIRE. THIS WAS 75 WAS THE YEAR AFTER HE GOT TO THE FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME OF THE NCAA. HE WON THE NCAA TWO YEARS LATER, 77, AND SAID, COACH, WILL YOU SUPPORT US TO START THE TOURNAMENT? HE WAS THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AND HE SAID YES. THEN I WENT TO THE MILWAUKEE JOURNAL. IT WAS BEFORE THE MERGER. YEAH, AND THEY GAVE US $5,000 TO BE A SPONSOR. AND THEN I WENT TO THE AUDITORIUM AND SIGNED A LEASE RIGHT AWAY FOR A $5,000 WITH NO TOURNAMENT. SO IT WAS EXCITING. IT WAS A HIGH RISK, HIGH GAIN THING. YEAH. THERE WAS NO TOURNAMENT IN THE UNITED STATES AT THAT TIME, AND IT WAS VERY EXCITING BECAUSE WE CALLED MICHIGAN, AND I THINK THEY SAID, WELL, NOBODY WILL COME, AND WE CALL MICHIGAN STATE. AND THEY SAID, WELL, EVERYBODY WILL WANT TO COME TO THE CEREMONY. >> AND 50 YEARS LATER, COULD YOU HAVE EVER IMAGINED THAT IT WOULD BE WHAT IT IS TODAY? >> NO, I REALLY CAN’T. IT’S EXCITING TO THINK THAT IT’S STILL PRESENT, AND WE’RE PROBABLY IN THE STRONGEST POSITION NOW. BUT THERE WERE SOME UPS AND DOWNS BECAUSE WE PLAYED FOR 29 YEARS IN THE MILWAUKEE AUDITORIUM FOR THE FINALS, AND THEN IT BECAME MILWAUKEE THEATER. SO WE LOST OUR VENUE. SO WE HAD TO REINVENT OURSELVES, AND WE THEN WENT FROM INDOORS IN JANUARY TO THE FALL, WHICH IS WHERE IT IS NOW. SO THE TOURNAMENT WILL BE THIS YEAR, SEPTEMBER 11TH THROUGH 13TH. YEAH. WITH THE COLLEGE TENNIS CENTER IN GLENDALE. AND THE OTHER DRAW WILL BE AT WESTERN RACKET CLUB IN ELM GROVE, AND ALL THE FINALISTS WILL BE AT THE WESTERN RACKET CLUB. SO MEN’S AND WOMEN’S ALSO, MEN AND WOMEN WERE ALWAYS EQUAL IN THIS TOURNAMENT. I HAVE THREE MARRIED DAUGHTERS, ALL PLAYED COLLEGE TENNIS. >> YEAH. >> SO IT WAS EQUAL, RIGHT LONG BEFORE THE THE BENEFITS OF TITLE NINE. SO WE’RE HAPPY AND ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THAT. WOMEN EQUALITY TOO. >> YEAH. YOU KNOW, I THINK TENNIS IS ONE OF THOSE SPORTS THAT IS FASCINATING TO WATCH. IT’S JUST ONE OF THOSE EVENTS THAT JUST IT’S SO EASY TO WATCH, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU GOT GOOD TENNIS HAPPENING. AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE BEST PLAYERS FROM ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY. AND PEOPLE HERE CAN WATCH THESE TOURNAMENTS FOR FREE. >> AND THEY COME FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD TO WOW. SO WE HAVE PLAYERS COME FROM GERMANY AND ITALY AND SOUTH AMERICA, CHINA, JAPAN. IF YOU WANT TO GO TO SEE THIS CALIBER TENNIS, YOU THE CLOSEST PLACE WOULD BE CINCINNATI FOR CINCINNATI ATP TOURNAMENT. YEAH. HERE YOU CAN GO IN FIVE MINUTES, TEN MINUTES. YOU CAN WATCH SOME OF THE FINEST TENNIS PLAYERS PLAYING IN THE WORLD IN OUR TOURNAMENT. AND THERE’S NO ADMISSION CHARGE. >> WOW. >> AND THIS IS ALL THANKS TO GENEROUS SPONSORS WHO ARE WHO ARE ABLE. >> TO SPONSORS. YES. >> TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. >> U.S. BANK IS ONE OF OUR SPONSORS, AURORA. WE’VE GOT THE HYATT PHARMACY, A LARGE NUMBER OF FRIENDS OF THE CLASSIC THAT DONATE IN CUMULATIVELY. YEAH, WE MAKE IT WORK. >> WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES AS YOU THINK BACK ON THE LAST? >> PAUL ANNACONE WON THE TOURNAMENT ONE YEAR AND HE WENT ON TO BECOME THE COACH FOR PETE SAMPRAS. SO THAT WAS A MAJOR, MAJOR INTERNATIONAL EVENT PROMOTING US AND WHAT WE DID TOGETHER. THAT WAS VERY, VERY EXCITING. AL MCGUIRE. TEN YEARS AFTER THE TOURNAMENT, DID A TEN MINUTE VIDEO FOR US ON THE TOURNAMENT, PROMOTING THE TOURNAMENT, AND THAT WAS EXCITING. WE STILL HAVE THAT VIDEO. YEAH, A REAL KEEPSAKE. >> GOODNESS. ANYTHING SPECIAL PLANNED FOR THIS YEAR AS YOU MARK THIS. >> VERY SPECIAL. SO THIS YEAR, IF YOU ENTER OUR TOURNAMENT, YOU NEED TO SIGN UP AND SAY, IF I GET TO THE FINALS, I’M GOING TO COME TO AN EVENT THE NIGHT BEFORE THE CHAMPIONSHIPS. OKAY, SO WESTERN RECORD CLUB SATURDAY NIGHT WEARING A SPECIAL EVENT, BUT ALL THE FINALISTS HAVE TO BE THERE AND THEY’RE GOING TO BE INTERVIEWED. WOW. THEY’RE AT THIS EVENT. AND WE DID THIS ABOUT 30 YEARS AUDITORIUM AND PEOPLE LOVED IT. THE PLAYERS ARE RIGHT THERE AND YOU CAN COME AND SEE THEM PLAY THE NEXT DAY. YEAH, MEET THEM AND INTERVIEW THEM. PHOTOGRAPHS, AUTOGRAPHS. WE BRING A LOT OF KIDS LUNCH AT THE CLASSIC FOR KIDS. WE HAVE A SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM PROMOTING OUTREACH, SO IT’S A LOT OF EXCITEMENT COMING TOGETHER. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. >> WELL, WE ARE CERTAINLY LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. CHAD, THANKS FOR BEING HERE. AND IT’S JUST KIND OF CRAZY TO THINK 50 YEARS OF DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS AND THEN FOR IT TO STAND THE TEST OF TIME, WHICH IS A REALLY HARD THING TO DO IN THIS IN THIS DAY AND AGE. >> I AGREE. THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT, MARK. >> ABSOLUTELY. SO GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE. AND OF COURSE, AGAIN, THE MILWAUKEE TENNIS CLASSIC RETURNS SEPTEMBER 10TH TO THE 13TH. AND IT IS FREE. WE TURN NOW TO WEATHERWATCH 12. BUT IT IS CONVENIENT THAT WE ARE GOING TO JUNEAU. I’M SURE HE’S GOING TO REFLECT ON THE DAYS THAT. >> JUST SWINGING THROUGH, YOU KNOW, THE RACKETS, HOW MUCH THE TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED IN THE LAST 50. >> TENNIS TOGETHER, AND. >> HE’S NEVER PLAYED WITH ME SINCE. >> I BECAUSE GENO WAS NOT TOO KIND. I’M A BEGINNER.

The premier college tournament returns Sept. 10-13.

Updated: 5:24 PM CDT Jun 15, 2026

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One of the nation’s most prestigious collegiate tennis tournaments is marking a major milestone.The Milwaukee Tennis Classic was founded 50 years ago by Chas Mulcahy and Marquette University coaching legend Al McGuire.The tournament returns Sept. 10 to 13 and is free to attend.

MILWAUKEE —

One of the nation’s most prestigious collegiate tennis tournaments is marking a major milestone.

The Milwaukee Tennis Classic was founded 50 years ago by Chas Mulcahy and Marquette University coaching legend Al McGuire.

The tournament returns Sept. 10 to 13 and is free to attend.