DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) — Pro tennis is back in Decatur after a years long hiatus, but this year it’s a little bit different.

For the first time, the women are the star of the show. In the past it’s only been men who have competed. On Tuesday, more than 50 women played at the Fairview Tennis Complex for a chance to earn ranking points and play against the big names in the sport.

The tournament supervisor said he’s happy it’s back.

“A lot of support from the community. And it’s not just financial support, although that is key to getting the tournament here, but it’s a lot of volunteer support and a lot of blood, sweat and tears from a group of people who really care about bringing a really high level of tennis to the Decatur community,” tournament supervisor Brian Earley said.

Earley said the goal is to expose as many people to this level of tennis as possible in Decatur. He’s been doing this for more than 40 years. In the past it was only men competing at these competitions but this year they wanted something different.

“There are so many good players, so many women can play,” Earley said.

Earley said women from all over the country came out to compete. Some were from the area — like one mom who was out there for fun.

“It’s been a while. A little over a year ago, they hosted a tournament in Champaign, and I was lucky enough to get to play,” Michaela Eddins said.

Michaela Eddins is 36 years old. She’s the oldest person in the tournament this year but she’s still holding her own.

“You don’t have to give up your dreams fully. You know, you should you should still strive to better yourself every day and do something that you love,” Eddins said.

Eddins said being able to live free on the court once again was like no other.

“Since we moved here, I don’t get to hit quite as much as I did prior when we lived in West Virginia,” Eddins said.

Earley said it’s support from the community that allows them to host these pro tennis matches.

“You’ll see them here and then you’ll see them at the biggest tournaments at the end of the summer. I mean, the level of play has just improved so much over the years,” Earley said.

Players came from several different countries including New Zealand, China and Canada. Tuesday morning, Eddins won her match… Now she’ll continue for a chance at winning the more than $4,000 top prize. You can catch the action from now through June 15.