Women's pro tennis returns to Philadelphia after more than 20 years: "I missed tennis being in Philadelphia"

Professional women's tennis returned to Philadelphia on Sunday for the first time in more than two decades, drawing a sold-out crowd to the University of Pennsylvania for the opening day of the Ennoble Care Philly Open.

Spectators watched as several top-100-ranked players took the courts at Penn's Hamlin Tennis Center for the weeklong tournament, marking the first professional women's tennis event in Philadelphia since 2005.

"I missed tennis being in Philadelphia," Alicia Snyder said.

Bill Bender was also among those who came out for the tournament's first day.

"There usually aren't too many opportunities to see pro tennis here," Bender said.

The crowd was also welcomed by players, including Isabelle Haverlag, who traveled from the Netherlands to compete in doubles.

"There are a lot of tennis fans," Haverlag said. "I like to see that people see it and enjoy it."

The tournament is a WTA 125 event featuring a 32-player singles draw and 16-team doubles draw. Competition continues through Saturday.

Among those watching from the crowd Sunday was comedian and women's pro sports advocate Wanda Sykes, who, along with her wife, Alexandra Sykes, helped bring the tournament to Philadelphia.

The couple are co-founders of the Philadelphia Sisters, an organization focused on expanding opportunities for professional women's sports in the city. The group was also involved in the successful effort to bring a WNBA expansion team to Philadelphia.

Through that work, Alexandra Sykes says the group connected with leaders in the Women's Tennis Association and began pushing to bring a professional tournament to the city.

Alexandra Sykes said the effort involved "connecting all the dots," finding sponsors and building excitement around the tournament.

"And look at us today," Alexandra Sykes said. "It's sold out."

Wanda Sykes said Sunday's turnout was consistent with what she has seen when professional sporting events are brought to Philadelphia.

"Everyone shows up," she said.

Organizers are using the tournament to make a broader case for the future of women's professional sports in Philadelphia.

"Professional women's sports in general is on the rise," Wanda Sykes said. "There's no limit."