One of the largest gay sports organizations in metro Atlanta is readying to host its signature event over Labor Day Weekend, drawing more than 220 athletes from the Southeast — and a few foreign countries — for competitive tennis.

The Peach International Tennis Championships will celebrate its 20th anniversary when play opens Aug. 31 in two locations in DeKalb and Fulton counties, continuing a tradition that has grown into one of the largest events on the Gay & Lesbian Tennis Alliance (GLTA) circuit.

“There are definitely some good matches, especially when you get to those upper levels,” said Adam Helewski, one of two tournament directors. “It is incredible to watch them play.”

 Some 226 players are registered for the event, with participants raging in age from their 20s to their 60s. About one-third of the players are women, said Helewski, who is also a board member of the Atlanta Team Tennis Association, which hosts the annual tournament.

“We have one of the largest pools of women in the GLTA circuit,” he said.

Competition cuts across five divisions: open is for top-level players with experience, while divisions A, B, C and D are for players in descending skill levels.

This year, female participants in the tournament will compete in four divisions — A, B, C and D. Players can compete in singles, doubles and mixed doubles. For those age 40 and over, you need not worry about being paired against a just-out-of-college tennis pro as tournament organizers created divisions just for you, according to Helewski.

The event attracts mostly gay participants, with the socializing beginning on Aug. 30 during a Draw Party that determines who plays whom in the tournament. Competition opens the next morning at 8 a.m. Losers of the first matches move to the consolation round, so they continue playing through the weekend.

“We don’t want someone to come here and play one match and be done,” Helewski said.

Two tennis centers in Decatur and Sandy Springs house the matches, with the championship rounds on Sept. 3 scheduled for the DeKalb Tennis Center.

Proceeds from the tournament will again benefit AIDS Survival Project, a frequent charity of the tennis event. The donation typically is about $5,000 a year, Helewski said. 

Registration fees, which range from $96 to $132, a raffle during the banquet on Sept. 2 and a recent benefit fund the tournament and the charitable donation. Sponsors also help defray the nearly $30,000 it costs to stage the event.

Recruiting for the Peach competes with two other gay tennis events over Labor Day Weekend — the Centre Court Championships in Los Angeles and the Rose City Open in Portland, Ore. But organizers of the Atlanta event said it draws most of its players from the Southeast and East Coast, though the roster this year includes one person each from Vancouver and South Africa and two from Belgium.

“There are enough tennis players to go around for all of us,” Helewski said.