Serving Dreams

Credit former Dow Corning CEO Larry Reed and Tournament Director Glen William with initiating the Tournament in 1989 to showcase international tennis talent, local outreach---and a Midland kid named McGrath. 

Credit the Dow Corning Corporation for guiding this women’s professional tennis tournament from a modest challenger series on the women’s pro tour in 1989 to today’s mega event attracting 15,000 fans. When the Dow Chemical Company became full owner of Dow Corning in May of 2016, the tournament was renamed to the Dow Tennis Classic, but the commitment to the event remained the same.

With a track record for hosting top stars of the game, including six Grand Slam singles winners and 13 Grand Slam doubles winners, the Dow Tennis Classic is a dramatic example of how corporate commitment to the community translates into a unique education, entertainment/sports attraction for Michigan.

Hosted by the Greater Midland Tennis Center, the tournament began as a $25,000 tourney in 1989, became a $50,000 contest in 1996, became a $75,000 event in 1999, and in 2009 was named the first and only $100,000 event. Among the international players who compete, the Dow Tennis Classic is the top stop on the 103-stop tour because of the unique hospitality offered players, and the professional management of the tournament.

The players’ messages of perseverance, cultural diversity, and following your dream with  determination goes down well with youngsters and teens as they learn about the world through “Pros to Schools,” and “Schools to Matches.” Civic and service organizations hear about life on the tour and the economics of competitive tour tennis.