Craig Tiley, the University of Illinois' head men's tennis coach from 1993 to 2005, had a vision for his program and for the tennis community in central Illinois. One of the pieces of his vision was to bring professional players from around the world to Champaign-Urbana and expose tennis enthusiasts of all ages and ability to the game they love at its highest form. In 1996, Tiley brought this piece of his vision to reality and attracted a low level USTA developmental circuit tournament to Champaign-Urbana, IL.

While many doubted Tiley's vision, he believed that the tournament could not only survive in central Illinois, but grow. Through the years, the tournament's prize money increased as the popularity among the community grew. In 2005, as the Challenger of Champaign-Urbana was nearing its 10th year, Tiley departed for Australia to become Tennis Australia's Director of Player Development. In spite of his departure, the tournament has continued its growth, following the path of Tiley's original vision. The tournament, now known as the JSM Challenger of Champaign-Urbana, features $50,000 in prize money and provides hospitality, including accommodations, for all players who compete. Furthermore, it is one of the longest running tournaments on the USTA Pro Circuit.

Through the years, tennis fans in central Illinois have witnessed many of today's top stars compete at the Atkins Tennis Center. Most notably, Mardy Fish competed in the Challenger of Champaign-Urbana in 2000 and 2001. Other top players on the ATP circuit today including John Isner, the Bryan Brothers, Kevin Anderson, and more have all traveled to central Illinois to begin their climb to the top of professional tennis. The allure for fans who attend the tournament is identifying who the next world No. 1 will be.