When July comes around each year, tennis fans know exactly what is approaching. The Citi Open. One of the best tennis tournaments in The United States of America is back yet again and with this year’s player field, this will be must-see tennis. The tournament will take place from July 30th – August 7th at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center in Washington, DC.
The WTA is officially back at The Citi Open after last year’s absence. This year’s tournament will feature an ATP 500, as well as a WTA 250. The ATP and WTA are both coming to Washington D.C., and the players attending this year are simply top-tier. We have Grand Slam champions, Citi Open champions, top 20 players, as well as former world number one’s attending this prestigious tournament. As Wimbledon wraps up and the American hard-court swing begins, let’s take a look at which players will be making an appearance this year.
On the ATP side, we have two top 10 players attending. World #8 Andrey Rublev and #10 Hubert Hurkacz. With a combined 16 ATP titles between the two, they will both be tough to beat given their experience making long runs in tournaments on tour.
With #14 Taylor Fritz most recently reaching the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, American men’s tennis has been thriving on tour. Along with Taylor, Americans such as Reilly Opelka, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, Jenson Brooksby, and Sebastian Korda will look to make a run on their home soil. Last year’s finalist Mackenzie McDonald will also be returning. They all have what it takes to play some great tennis in DC, especially with the crowd behind them.
We also have a couple of former Citi Open champions in attendance this year on the ATP side. Kei Nishikori and Nick Kyrgios. In 2019, Kyrgios took down Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniel Medvedev back to back to win the title in DC. With Kyrgios making an unbelievable run to the final in Wimbledon this year, we can expect his quality and jaw-dropping tennis to continue as he looks to lift his second Citi Open title. Momentum goes a long way, and he seems to be playing his best tennis right now.
The rest of the draw is nothing to play with. We got Karen Khachanov, Grigor Dimitrov, Denis Shapovalov, Alexander Bublik, and Alex De Minaur to name a couple more. De Minaur made a run in DC in 2018 all the way to the championship, where he lost to Alexander Zverev 6-2, 6-4. These other notable names are always a threat to make a run in any given tournament. With all this talent in the draw, who will have what it takes to lift the trophy?
Former world #1 and Grand Slam champion Andy Murray definitely has what it takes to do so. As a huge fan favorite across the world, fans will be packing into The William H.G. Fitzgerald Tennis Center for a glimpse at greatness.
Andy Murray isn’t the only former number 1 in this year’s tournament. On the WTA side, Simona Halep and Victoria Azarenka will be competing this year. Both women have won Grand Slams and have been at the top of the sport for years. With 44 combined titles between the two, they both have great chances to make a run in this year’s WTA draw.
Along with Halep and Azarenka, there are three more Grand Slam champions competing at The Citi Open this year. Emma Raducanu, Sloane Stephens, and Sofia Kenin will be in attendance this year, and everyone will be looking forward to their performances on court.
2019 Citi Open champion Jessica Pegula is back in DC, and will look to continue her dominance on tour after reaching her highest rank as of last month, at #8 in the world. 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez and 2022 Wimbledon quarter-finalists Ajla Tomljanovic and Marie Bouzkova will all be looking to continue their great tennis this year, and add a WTA 250 championship to their resume. With all this talent in the draw, who will have what it takes to lift the trophy on the WTA side?
In a couple of weeks, we will find out. July 30th. Washington, DC. Rock Creek Park Tennis Center. One of the best ATP 500 level tournaments in the world. One of the best WTA 250 level tournaments in the world. The best of tennis will be on display and only two players can hold the trophy. Be ready.
