Sunday caps off one of the most exciting years yet for the 52-year-old Citi Open in Washington, as a week of frenetic play under pristine August weather comes to a close with hardware handed out for singles and doubles champions and finalists. In a perfect world, Rafael Nadal would appear at tonight’s singles final and bite the winner’s trophy to guarantee its authenticity, but it is not to be.
(Photo by Peter Staples)
Jannik Sinner and Mackenzie McDonald have both played a high level of tennis all week long and deserve to be on the stage today. Sinner’s the prohibitive -380 favorite in Vegas, but McDonald is far and away the sentimental favorite.
McDonald’s press conference gave us a peek into the troughs of pro tennis. After 2019 injuries and COVID-19 sidelined and then isolated him, he could put no positive spin on it. “No. Honestly, it was a really painful time, really super tough,” he said forlornly. “It was really rough. I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t know. I was away from family, too. I was lucky. My girlfriend’s father was able to spend time with me, he’s retired, and helped me. I couldn’t walk and drive myself and do anything”, he continued. “I had an apartment on the third floor and no elevator. It was pretty shitty. So, yeah, I didn’t know where I was going to be two years later. Like I said, I have always worked hard, always put in the work. A little bit older, too, and it’s helping.”
You just don’t hear real-life stories like that every day. He’s playing for his first ATP tour level title with his heart on his sleeve. Meanwhile, Sinner vies for his biggest trophy to date, having notched 250 titles in Sofia and Melbourne Park. Given the emotion that McDonald’s playing with like house money and the stingy odds on Sinner, the only punt to make today is for the American.
And Then There Were Four: Citi Open Semifinals Feature Young Talent and One Kei Nishikori
Steve Fogleman in Washington
It’s been a week of upsets at the Citi Open in Washington all the way to the semifinals with only one seeded player remaining. I’m feeling that the upsets end today with two favorites advancing to tomorrow’s ATP 500 final.
(Photo by Peter Staples, Citi Open)
Jenson Brooksby continued his march through Washington on Friday night by doing to John Millman what he’s been doing all week: baffle top talent. Asked if he is surprising other players, he said, “I don’t know exactly what goes through their minds. I’m not surprising myself, but I think — I mean, I think they, by now, people know what to expect in general, but, I mean, I think I still am surprising them.”
Should we add Jannik Sinner to the list of those who aren’t ready to beat Brooksby? Sinner’s aware of the threat. “I think he’s a very tricky player,” he said yesterday. “He is maybe in the best moment of his young, young career, you know, playing the best tennis. He is, yeah, in confidence.”
(Photo by Peter Staples, Citi Open)
Sinner hits the practice courts after matches and skipped the Olympics in order to improve his game in time for the big US Open Series tournaments in August. I predict Brooksby’s amazing run through the top brass ends today on the racquet of the Italian.
Kei Nishikori flew in from Tokyo and did a lot of damage to his opponents all week. In prior editions of the Citi Open, Kei has been the superstar of this event and is a 2017 champion here. That’s why it seemed so strange this week as he practiced, played and won in an under-the-radar fashion thanks to the Rafa Effect. That jet lag is long gone which means Nishikori’s game is getting better every day.
Photo by Mike Lawrence for the Citi Open
“I was a little bit tired after coming from Japan,” he said in post-match press last night, “but I had a couple days’ rest. It wasn’t easy, obviously. I had only maybe three days or four days to play first match, but I able to manage, you know, fight through first couple rounds. Now I’m feeling good again.”
I’m picking Nishikori to advance to tomorrow’s final. We’ll see you then.
It’s Back to Business as a Normal ATP500 for @CitiOpen
Steve Fogleman, Tennis Atlantic
Well, the Rafael Nadal hangover is still around, if only for a day. After Nadal’s exit from the Citi Open in Washington last night, there’s a collective sense of loss and exhaustion from the electricity he brought to this ATP 500 event. However, there are eight excellent quarterfinal matches on tap today and storylines still abound.
Let’s stat with Denis Kudla. On Monday, he said that he’d underachieved in his career. Three wins later and Kudla is looking to make his first hometown tournament semifinal today. He went through a tortuous period from 2008-2017, where the DC local went 0-8 in qualifying and first round losses. To make his first ATP Tour final in DC would be a real silver lining for him and the Citi Open. After beating Brandon Nakashima, who’d been playing near perfect tennis, I predict that he will be the semifinalist from this All-American match.
Steve Johnson has been beating the odds all week, first by taking out tournament #3 seed Alex DeMinaur and following it up with a lights-out win over Ricardas Berankis yesterday. Today, he’ll face longer odds as he tries to unseat the highest remaining seeded player, #5 Jannik Sinner, to book his third Citi Open semifinal. That may be a tall order for Johnson, as Sinner looks unbeatable.
Jenson Brooksby continues to dazzle. Jenson’s July was only a pretext of what was to come here in Washington. He has knocked off #16 seed Tiafoe and #2 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and today he faces #11 seed John Millman. Brooksby hasn’t dropped a set all week, but today I am predicting that Millman will end Brooksby’s impressive Citi Open run.
Photo: Christopher Levy, @Tennis_Shots
Finally, Kei Nishikori and Lloyd Harris square off for the last semifinal berth. This one is a big question mark as both players may begin to feel some exhaustion set in after last night’s three set wins. Harris looked great out there, but will there be a letdown coming off of his greatest win yet? Kei Nishikori, who has been the rockstar of Citi Opens past, is a bit of an under-the-radar player this week. That said, I’m going to tip his way to reach the semis.
Locals Play Citi OpenTuesday, Nakashima Turns 20, Kyrgios Needs Points
Nick Kyrgios begins his Citi Open title defense against Mackenzie McDonald. Kyrgios needs three wins this week to reach his first ATP Tour quarter-final since the 2019 Citi Open, where he saved a match point against Stefanos Tsitsipas and defeated Daniil Medvedev in two tiebreaks for the title.
On Monday, Kyrgios dropped 250 of his 500 points from the 2019 Citi Open and fell to No. 77 – his lowest spot in the FedEx ATP Rankings since he reached the 2014 Wimbledon quarter-finals as a 144th-ranked wild card.
Frances Tiafoe, who learned how to play tennis eight miles from the Citi Open, returns to his home event on Tuesday for a second-round match against countryman Jenson Brooksby. Tiafoe, who trained in nearby College Park, Maryland, won a round in singles and doubles for Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics last week.
Tiafoe isn’t the only local who will play in front of friends and family on Stadium Court. Denis Kudla, who also trained at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, faces Feliciano Lopez in the first round. Kudla fell to Tiafoe in the Nottingham Challenger final on 13 June after teaming with him twice at the Citi Open.
Denis Kudla, 2019 US Open (Photo: TennisAtlantic.com)
In another opening-round match, Brandon Nakashima celebrates his 20th birthday against Alexei Popyrin. Nakashima is coming off back-to-back ATP 250 finals at Los Cabos and Atlanta. He became the youngest American to advance to multiple finals since Andy Roddick went 5-2 in finals as a teenager from 2001-02.
Nakashima is joined on Grandstand Court by Cameron Norrie, who defeated him in the Los Cabos final on 24 July. Norrie, who meets Marcos Giron in the second round, is tied with Andrey Rublev for third on tour with 36 victories in 2021. Only Tsitsipas(42) and World No. 1 Novak Djokovic (38) have more wins this season. —-ATP
Jenson Brooksby Gets Even With Kevin Anderson in Citi Open Rematch of Newport Final
SteveFogleman in Washington
Little more than two weeks ago, Jenson Brooksby found himself in an ATP tour level final and in a first set tiebreak against Kevin Anderson. Though he lost that tiebreak and the Tennis Hall of Fame final, Michael Scott would love to say “My, how the turns have tabled.” Monday at the Citi Open in Washington, Brooksby found himself in a first set tiebreak before winning in straight sets against Newport champion Anderson.
“I was definitely happy with how I ended the first set,” Brooksby said after today’s win. “I mean, obviously two weeks ago in Newport I had a lot of chances I think to break, and also in the tiebreak. Didn’t get it. That was definitely disappointing.”
“But,” he added, “I was up 1-0 in the breaker. I lost focus for multiple points. But I was really proud of myself to be able to get it back and win multiple in a row to get the first set.”
“I kept my foot on the gas pedal, started returning better, got the break. Happy to close it out in straights.”
Other notable closeouts included Ricardas Berankis advancing past Mitch Krueger, 7-6, 6-2, Daniel Galan upsetting Tommy Paul, 6-4, 6-3, and Ilya Ivahska easing past Egor Gerasimov.
While Brooksby was the first American to win at Citi Open, compatriot Marcos Giron also moved on an hour later as he needed three sets to take out plucky qualifier Ilya Marchenko, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6.
Andreas Seppi also earned a comeback win over Yasutaka Uchiyama, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3. Seppi will do a quick turnaround and prepare to do battle with #2 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime tomorrow on Stadium Court.
I’ve been attending the Washington ATP event since the 1990’s, back when it was named the Legg Mason Tennis Classic. I’ve seen fans in awe of Andre Agassi, go loco for Juan Martin Del Potro and get cuckoo for Coco Gauff. None of that prepared me for The Rafa Effect, which swept the Nation’s Capital at the Citi Open in Washington this weekend.
I’ve been to majors and masters events, yet in those environments, the Great One is part of a team of superheroes like Djokovic and Federer and consequently basks in the shared limelight at those locales. DC is different. At once, he has breathed all of the oxygen at this tournament, and during qualifying weekend, that was more than any fan could ask. Nadal returns that oxygen by packing the stands for hardly-known qualifying players who notice more fans than they’ve ever seen at one of their matches.
At his Saturday morning practice, the energy was pronounced. While thousands of fans queued up to see the Spaniard in action, those fans already in the stadium made noise. Those waiting in line acted like they were at a TSA checkpoint and about to miss a flight as Nadal took the court. Fans shouted, “Thank you for coming!’, applauded nearly every point and gave him more than one standing ovation. Although few of the fanaticos got Nadal’s autograph, many left fulfilled with a selfie of a tiny Nadal hitting behind them.
Why Washington? How did we get so lucky?
“When I see the calendar, my goal was to be here in Washington,” he told reporters earlier today. “Here I am. So that’s the main thing for me. An important one. Playing in Washington allow me to be on the tour one week before than what I do usually for this part of the season,” he added, before noting that he believes that skipping Wimbledon was a wise move on his part.
Whatever magic Nadal’s presence conjures up, it feels even more magical here in DC. Even the US Open puts their marquee players on stadium-style courts for practices, but this one felt like family. DC tennis fans have always enjoyed their ATP 500 level tournament, but this was a taste of the big time. It’s something residents of New York or Miami might take for granted since the tennis carnivals come through their towns every year. For Washingtonians, it was a dream come true.
Photo: Christopher Levy, @tennis_shots
I’ve heard the term “The Rafa Effect” thrown around on social media, and I am now able to quantify it. Another tweeted, “Elvis is in town.” And hopefully, we’ve got the King all week. I fully expect the anticipation for Nadal’s Wednesday night match to boil up every day, and I can’t wait to see how his disciples react when he hits a ball in actual match play.
Tournament to Showcase Nadal Open Practices for Fans on Stadium Court During Qualifying Weekend, Saturday, July 31 and Sunday, August 1
WASHINGTON D.C. (July 29, 2021) — A month short of a 20-year anniversary marking the professional debut of one of tennis’ most decorated and storied champions, Rafael Nadal is set to descend on our nation’s capital this week to make his first Citi Open appearance at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center.
The 20-time Grand Slam tournament singles champion and the world’s No. 3-ranked men’s player at present, Nadal arrives on the Citi Open grounds Saturday for practice on Stadium Court during the tournament’s qualifying weekend in preparation for his eagerly anticipated Citi Open debut at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Aug. 4 – a second-round match following a first-round bye. The Citi Open’s full singles draw will be released on Friday.
Nadal, 35, accepted a wild-card entry into the 2021 Citi Open and seeks to earn a career milestone – his 100th ATP Tour title – in Washington D.C. With 88 singles and 11 doubles titles to his iconic name, Nadal’s early Citi Open practice sessions will be on Stadium Court and open to fans. They are scheduled for:
Saturday July 31: 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 1 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The practices are open to ticket holders for the Citi Open’s qualifying weekend and fans are welcome to watch from their Stadium seats. Gates open at 10 a.m. both days and Nadal’s practice schedule is subject to change.
As tickets for all of the Citi Open week are close to sold out, those interested in securing remaining available tickets can use the following link:
“We are thrilled that the top players in the world, like Rafael Nadal, are choosing to play the Citi Open,” said Citi Open Chairman Mark Ein. “We are gaining a reputation for having some of the best fans in tennis and delivering a world class experience for players in the nation’s capital. Having a player like Rafa competing in Washington continues to solidify the Citi Open’s place as one of America’s classic Summer sports events.
“The interest from our community and fans to see Rafa in person has been overwhelming, so we are thrilled to provide a rare opportunity to witness his legendary preparation in a series of open practices on our Stadium Court this weekend. This will provide a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a large number of additional fans that bought tickets to the qualifying rounds to see one of tennis’ all-time greats up close.”
Nadal’s maiden voyage at the Citi Open will mark Nadal’s first ATP event since reaching the semifinals of the French Open at Roland Garros, and it will be his seventh ATP tournament of 2021. The Spaniard won his 87th and 88th ATP singles titles at Barcelona in April and Rome (ATP Masters 1000) in May.
The Citi Open also represents the first tournament in Nadal’s run-up to the US Open, which he has won four times (2010, 2013, 2017, 2019). A fifth US Open title in September would elevate Nadal to the top of the list of all-time Grand Slam singles championships, breaking the tie he currently holds with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
Nadal’s seemingly endless list of championship moments includes an all-time record 13 French Open titles (2005-08, 2010-14, 2017-2020), two Wimbledon titles (2008, 2010), one Australian Open title (2009), two Olympic Gold Medals (singles in 2008, doubles in 2016) and five Davis Cup victories with Spain.
Citi Open fans may follow the tournament’s latest news and activity on Facebook (www.facebook.com/CitiOpen), Twitter and Instagram (@CitiOpen).
Ready, Play! 2020 @CitiOpen Set for August 13-21, Will Become First ATP Tour Tournament After Longest Drought in Open Era
The Citi Open continues to reimagine tennis on a whole new scale.
Three months after the pro tours suspended their seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ATP and tournament officials announced today that the professional tennis tour will return to the world stage with the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. from August 13-21.
Coco Gauff, Mark Ein, Caty McNally, 2019 Citi Open (Photo: Mike Renz)
“After what will be a five-month shutdown, we are thrilled that pro tennis will resume in Washington, DC at the 2020 Citi Open.” said tournament chairman and CEO of MDE Tennis Mark Ein. “Our team has completed an exhaustive effort to explore, design, and refine the health and safety protocols necessary to host the event. After this extensive collaboration with a full range of our stakeholders, it is an extraordinary and unexpected honor to host the comeback of our great sport right here in our backyard.”
The Citi Open will be the ATP Tour’s first sanctioned event since February and will mark the end to the longest hiatus in the Open Era. Conversations with the WTA Tour about returning in DC the same week this summer are on-going.
Founded in 1969, the Citi Open is the fourth longest-running pro tournament in the United States. This summer marks the 52nd consecutive year the Citi Open will be played in its original home of Rock Creek Park.
“This has been a very tough year for so many people in our community and our nation, and we hope the return of a great Washington summer tradition will give people something to look forward to,” said Ein. “Building on the event’s long charitable history, we are planning to use the tournament to help some of those people most impacted and shine a light on some of our many local heroes.”
The tournament is working closely with local officials on the health and safety plan in order to secure all the necessary permits and approvals for the event. The current plan is for the Citi Open to host this year’s tournament without fans in attendance, but officials remain optimistic that as the region continues its phased reopening, and conditions improve, they may be granted permission to allow limited fans onsite.
If a limited number of fans are allowed at this year’s event, the significant number of series ticketholders that have already paid their deposits will get the top priority and be assured some tickets, followed by those that pay deposits prior to any ticket allocation. It is not anticipated that tickets would be available beyond that.
Stacked: @CitiOpen With Big Guns Out for 49th Birthday of DC’s Pro Tournament
World No. 8 Dominic Thiem and ATP Next Gen Leader Alexander Zverev headline Men’s Field; World No. 12 Kristina Mladenovic and 2016 Finalist Lauren Davis lead WTA roster
Daria Kasatkina (Photo: Tony Callaio)
WASHINGTON (June 20, 2017) — The 2017 Citi Open® Tennis Tournament boasts one of its strongest men’s and women’s fields in its 49-year history with the announcement of its world-class roster. Collectively, the international fields, representing 26 countries worldwide, account for two Grand Slam singles titles, six Grand Slam finals, 111 ATP/WTA singles titles, including one former World No. 1.
Nick Kyrgios, one of the ATP World Tour’s most electrifying players, will make his Citi Open debut this summer, while top American Jack Sock returns to the DC hard courts for the fifth time. The field showcases five of the top ten ATP Next Gen players, with Hyeon Chung, Daniil Medvedev, Jared Donaldson, and Casper Ruud along with previously announced Alexander Zverev. Other players to watch include South African Kevin Anderson, Americans Steve Johnson, Ryan Harrison and Donald Young, Great Britain’s Kyle Edmund and Daniel Evans, Australian Bernard Tomic, and 2014 Citi Open finalist Vasek Pospisil. They join three-time Citi Open champion Juan Martin del Potro, defending champion Gael Monfils, and three-time Citi Open finalist John Isner.
In addition, Mike and Bob Bryan, the winningest doubles team in ATP history, owners of a record 112 titles, have confirmed their participation. The full doubles field is expected the week of July 17.
Belinda Bencic & Kiki Mladenovic (Photo: Chris Levy @Tennis_Shots)
On the women’s side, Kristina Mladenovic, who recently reached a career-high ranking of WTA World No. 12, joins the Citi Open field after reaching the French Open quarterfinals. Former U.S. Open champion Samantha Stosur and 2016 Citi Open finalist Lauren Davis will also return to the tournament this summer. Daria Kasatkina, who won her first career WTA singles title this year and defeated current WTA World No. 1 Angelique Kerber twice this year, will make her Citi Open debut. Other players to watch who will be joining Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig and Canadian starlet Eugenie Bouchard are 2013 Citi Open finalist Andrea Petkovic, 2014 Citi Open finalist Kurumi Nara, 2013 Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki, Americans Christina McHale and Shelby Rogers, Former WTA World No. 1 Jelena Jankovic and 2012 French Open finalist Sara Errani.
“This is a phenomenal field. The depth on both the men’s and women’s side speaks volumes about the growth of this Tournament,” said Keely O’Brien, Tournament Director. “I’m thrilled that our fans will get to see these stars compete in our backyard in just a few short weeks. The field will continue to evolve up until the start the tournament, so fans should stay tuned for more exciting additions in the coming weeks.”
Single session tickets, weeklong packages and other ticket plans are on sale now at http://www.citiopentennis.com or by calling the hotline 202.721.9500. Each ticket provides fans access to the action on all six courts, with both men’s and women’s matches, for as many as 24 matches per session. Tickets to gain admission to the tournament’s signature events, including tailgate events, a cocktail challenge, and the first-ever Citi Open Kickoff Party are also on the website.
The Citi Open Tennis Tournament benefits underserved and low-income kids in the D.C. community through the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation. It is one of only 13 elite ATP World Tour 500-level events worldwide and the only one at this level held in the United States. The tournament represents a WTA International event and having both ATP and WTA players provides fans the opportunity to watch simultaneous competitions of both world-class men’s and women’s tennis throughout the nine-day event. It is one of only five U.S. tournaments that include both men’s and women’s fields. Main draw matches of the tournament will be broadcast starting Monday, July 31, on Tennis Channel.
Novak Djokovic simply could not be stopped in Melbourne, as the Serb only played one five setter all tournament, and he won that set with a bagel. Djokovic beat four time finalist Andy Murray, who continues to struggle with losing finals there, while playing some of his best tennis at the tournament, in the final in 4 sets. The match was a competitive 7-6 6-7 for the first two frames, but after that Djokovic took control, winning 12 of the final 15 games of the match for a 7-6 6-7 6-3 6-0 victory over the Scotsman.
Novak remains the world number one, and he’s the best plexicushion player on the planet at the moment, and perhaps the best of all time on the surface. He struggled with bouts of full body cramps, a jammed finger, and perhaps other ailments in his final with Murray, but after long rallies, and a physically taxing match where both skilled returners struggled to hold their serves throughout, Djokovic had Murray up against a wall, and he finished him, as winning a second set tiebreak didn’t seem to do much for Murray’s belief and left him spent emotionally and physically. Djokovic’s ailments and rollercoaster form early on, seemed to unnerve Murray, who would have to play a difficult, and taxing point, and often not even win it, then be treated to Djokovic doubled over and hitting the ball into the next the next point. His rhythm was interrupted and he simply didn’t serve well enough to win this, as he had every chance to go up 2 sets to love, if he had taken the first set tiebreak, and putting in all his effort to win the second, only to be faced with a renewed Djokovic over the final two frames, broke him. Djokovic wiped up in the fourth, and the final was simply not compelling after the first two sets, as it started to go faster, and the momentum of the match was established.
Murray had a great tournament, but he simply had to put in a lot more effort to win points than Novak had to, the Serbian has an extra gear, and it served him well this tournament. In week 2, Djokovic didn’t drop a set against big servers Gilles Muller, and Milos Raonic, then was pushed to five, but bageled Stan Wawrinka in the 5th, as the Swiss couldn’t replicate his shocking victory last year. Raonic was disappointing to only force one tiebreak, and his return simply wasn’t good enough to trouble Djokovic, who eventually was able to read his serve. Previously, Raonic needed 5 sets to oust Spanish serve and slice maestro Feliciano Lopez, taking advantage of his opponents double faults to break. Wawrinka fought hard, and was dictating points with his backhand at times, but he mentally faded after taking the 4th set and having a break point chance early in the 5th. Simply put, Djokovic relied not only on his physical and technical talents, but also on his mental fortitude to bludgeon his opponents into submission.
Murray beat Grigor Dimitrov in 4 sets, that match was full of highlights but Dimitrov squandered break up leads in both the first and fourth set and lost the match that way, an injured Nick Kyrgios, who saved match points in a classic round of 16 encounter against Andreas Seppi that went 5 sets, in straights, and Tomas Berdych also in 4 for his week two campaign. Berdych, who totally dominated a listless Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals, Nadal only able to play even top 50 level tennis for one set, that Berdych had a bit of trouble closing out, but eventually did, winning in straights, was powerful in the first set, but Murray turned it on after feeling the Czech out and won the next two sets by a combined score of 12-3. Berdych tried to rally back in the fourth, but a late break for a mentally tougher and physically conditioned Murray was enough to win him the match. Murray was angry with Berdych throughout as there were harsh words exchanged. Berdych had also previously taken out another home Aussie, Bernard Tomic, in straight sets, as Tomic struggled with his power and dictation of the rallies.
The Charismatic Italian duo of Fabio Fognini and Simone Bolelli beat French bromance Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut to win their first ever grand slam titles in the men’s doubles. The doubles final was contested between two pairs of players that both primarily have focused on singles on tour throughout their careers.
Djokovic will go into the rest of the season as a favorite on every surface besides clay at every tournament he plans to enter, while Murray is back playing top 5 tennis, Wawrinka proved he is here to stay this season, and Berdych continues to search for the answers as to what it’s going to take for him to get over the hump in slams.
Tennis Atlantic 