Tennis Atlantic

Tournament features world-class player field and unparalleled fan experiences; tickets already 92 percent sold out

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Mubadala Citi DC Open, the fifth largest professional tennis event in the United States and the only combined ATP-WTA 500 level tennis tournament in the world, has announced its main draw wildcards ahead of the highly-anticipated 54th edition of the tournament, July 29 – August 6. The event, which annually takes place in Washington D.C. at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Rock Creek Park, has awarded main draw wild cards to 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, 2023 Wimbledon semifinalist Elina Svitolina, 2022 Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins, 2014 US Open finalist and 2015 D.C. champion Kei Nishikori, 2016 D.C. champion Gaël Monfils and two-time Grand Slam finalist Kevin Anderson. In addition, 2023 Wimbledon girl’s singles champion and D.C. native Clervie Ngounoue as well as another D.C. native and University of Michigan tennis standout Andrew Fenty have been awarded qualifying draw wild cards. 

The 2023 tournament features an unprecedentedly deep main draw player field that includes six top ten players, five Grand Slam champions, three former World No. 1’s and six past D.C. champions. 

The wild cards join an ATP field featuring 2019 and 2022 D.C. singles and doubles champion Nick Kyrgios, former World No. 1, three-time Grand Slam champion and two-time Gold Medalist Andy Murray, World No. 9 and 2022 Indian Wells champion Taylor Fritz, World No. 10 and Washington, D.C. native Frances Tiafoe, 2021 US Open semifinalist and World No. 12 Felix Auger-Aliassime and three-time Grand Slam semifinalist Grigor Dimitrov. The Washington, D.C. The WTA field includes World No. 7 and 2019 D.C. doubles champion Coco Gauff, World No. 4 and 2019 D.C. singles and 2022 doubles champion Jessica Pegula, former World No. 1 and two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, World No. 5 and 2022 WTA Finals champion Caroline Garcia, World No. 9 Maria Sakkari, two-time Grand Slam finalist and former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova, World No. 11 and 2022 San Jose champion Daria Kasatkina, 2017 US Open champion and 2015 D.C. champion Sloane Stephens. 

“We have an incredible player field committed to compete in this year’s Mubadala Citi DC Open, the first and only combined ATP and WTA 500 level tournament in the world,” said Mark Ein, Mubadala Citi DC Open Chairman. “Awarding two Grand Slam champions and three Grand Slam finalists wild cards into our event only strengthens an already incredibly deep player field. With over 92 percent of our tickets sold and this unbelievable player field and world-class food and beverage experiences throughout the site, we anticipate the tournament will sell out for a third year in a row. 

2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez is also one of many top competitors in the qualifying draws. The 20-year-old Canadian has captured two WTA career singles titles. She reached three doubles finals this season in Roland-Garros, Miami and Auckland. 

Wild card commitments include: 

• Sofia Kenin: Sofia Kenin won her first Grand Slam title in 2020 at the Australian Open, reached the finals of the French Open the same year and holds five WTA singles titles. The former World No. 4 reached the semifinals at the Hobart International this year, as well as the third round of Wimbledon. This will be the American’s third time competing in Washington, D.C.
  
• Bianca Andreescu: 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu will compete in D.C. for the second time, reaching the quarterfinals in 2017. The Canadian holds three WTA titles and has been ranked as high as World No. 3. She is the only Canadian tennis player to ever win a Grand Slam.
  
• Elina Svitolina: Former World No. 3 Elina Svitolina will compete for the first time in Washington, D.C. at the 2023 Mubadala Citi DC Open. The Ukrainian and new mom returned to tennis in April after a year hiatus. She holds 17 WTA titles, including a win in Strasbourg in May. She recently reached the Wimbledon semifinals and Roland Garros quarterfinals. 

• Danielle Collins: 2022 Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins will make her Washington debut this year. The 29-year-old American has been ranked as high as World No. 7 and holds two WTA career titles. She won two NCAA singles titles while at the University of Virginia. This season, she captured the Charleston doubles title and reached the semifinals in Austin.
  
• Kevin Anderson: Kevin Anderson is a former World No. 5, seven-time ATP champion and a two-time Grand Slam finalist, reaching the 2017 US Open finals and 2018 Wimbledon finals. The 37-year-old South African retired from tennis 14 months ago, but made his comeback last week in Newport where he reached the quarterfinals. This will be Anderson’s tenth time in the D.C. field. He reached the finals in 2017. 
  
• Kei Nishikori: Kei Nishikori is the top Asian men’s tennis player in history. He holds 12 career ATP titles and is the 2015 Citi Open champion. Along with his title in D.C., the Japanese player also reached the tournament’s quarterfinal round and semifinal round twice, respectively. He is a Grand Slam finalist, a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist and a nine-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist. He will make his return to the ATP Tour this week in Atlanta for his first tournament since October 2021.
  
• Gael Monfils: Gael Monfils has accepted a main draw wild card for the 2023 Mubadala Citi DC Open. The Frenchman recently returned to tennis after suffering a heel injury in 2022. He holds 11 ATP singles titles and has been ranked as high as World No. 6. His 2022 season included a title in Adelaide and a quarterfinal appearance at the Australian Open. He captured the Washington, D.C. title in 2016 and was a finalist in 2011.
  

• Clervie Ngounoue: Seventeen-year old and Washington, D.C. native Clervie Ngounoue will compete in the Mubadala Citi DC Open qualifying field after recently winning the 2023 Wimbledon girl’s singles title. She is currently ranked No. 2 on the ITF junior circuit. Earlier this season she captured the Roland Garros girls’ doubles title. Last year she took home the 2022 Australian Open girls’ doubles title.
  
• Andrew Fenty: Andrew Fenty is a 2022 graduate of the University of Michigan, where he arrived as a five-star recruit and the World No. 9 player in the ITF juniors ranking. During his collegiate career, he was ranked as high as No. 14 in the nation in singles and No. 2 in doubles. His honors include being named the ITA All-American (2020), ITA Freshman of the Year (2019), Big Ten Player of the Year (2020) and Big Ten Rookie of the Year (2019), among others. Fenty began his professional career this summer and was a recipient of the 2023 Universal Tennis Foundation Hurd Award in March. The American’s father, Adrian Fenty, is the former mayor of Washington, D.C.

Early commitments Daniil Medvedev and Nick Kyrgios have withdrawn from the tournament due to injury.