Victoria Azarenka, Kei Nishikori, Jessica Pegula, Grigor Dimitrov, Alex de Minaur and Eugenie Bouchard join Citi Open’s growing player field Victoria Azarenka, Kei Nishikori, Jessica Pegula, Grigor Dimitrov, Alex de Minaur and Eugenie Bouchard join Citi Open’s growing player field
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The world’s best men’s and women’s tennis players will compete in Washington D.C. July 30 – August 7 at the Citi Open®. New player field additions include two-time Grand Slam champion and former World No. 1 player Victoria Azarenka, World No. 9 and 2019 Citi Open champion Jessica Pegula, 2014 Wimbledon finalist and 2017 Citi Open doubles finalist Eugenie Bouchard, 2015 Citi Open champion Kei Nishikori, two-time Grand Slam semifinalist Grigor Dimitrov and 2018 Citi Open finalist Alex de Minaur.
The tournament’s growing player field now includes four Grand Slam champions, four Citi Open champions and seven current top 20 players.
The new player commitments join 2019 Citi Open champion Nick Kyrgios, D.C. native Frances Tiafoe, World No. 8 Andrey Rublev, 2022 Indian Wells champion Taylor Fritz, World No. 18 Reilly Opelka, 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu, 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez, 2015 Citi Open and 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens and 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the D.C. field, with more player announcements coming soon.
I’ve been attending this event for years and Kei Nishikori attracted the attention of more fans than any other player in Washington. Except last year, when all eyes were on the King of Clay, Rafael Nadal, in his D.C. debut.
“We are thrilled about the incredibly strong and deep field of men’s and women’s players we are building for the 2022 Citi Open, including so many Grand Slam champions, former Citi Open champions and fan favorites,” said Mark Ein, Citi Open Chairman. “With even more player commitments on the near horizon, it will be another unforgettable week of tennis in the nation’s capital for our fans in person and those watching around the world.”
New Citi Open ATP player field additions:
- Kei Nishikori (WC), 2015 Citi Open Champion: Nishikori is the top Asian men’s tennis player in history. He holds 12 career ATP titles and is the 2015 Citi Open champion, where he has acquired an 18-7 record. Along with his title in D.C., the Japanese player has 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. In 2021, he reached the semifinals in D.C. and the quarterfinals in Dubai, Rotterdam and at The Olympics.
- Grigor Dimitrov, World No. 21: Dimitrov holds eight career titles and a career-high ranking of World No. 3. The fan favorite Bulgarian will play the Citi Open for the seventh time this year, where he reached the quarterfinals in 2013. This season, he had semifinal berths in Monte Carlo and Melbourne and quarterfinal appearances in Indian Wells and Delray Beach. Dimitrov has also reached two Grand Slam semifinals and three Grand Slam quarterfinals.
- Alex de Minaur, 2018 Citi Open Finalist & World No. 24: de Minaur will compete at the Citi Open for the fourth time in 2022. He reached the D.C. final in 2018. The Australian has captured five ATP titles, including two in 2021 in Eastbourne and Antalya. So far this season, he has reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, quarterfinals in Rotterdam and semifinals in Lyon and Barcelona. He was also a quarterfinalist at the 2020 US Open.
New Citi Open WTA player field additions:
- Victoria Azarenka, 2-time Grand Slam Champion, Former World No.1 & Current World No. 20: Former World No. 1 Azarenka will make her Citi Open debut in 2022. She holds 21 career WTA singles titles and is a two-time Australian Open champion, winning the Grand Slam in 2012 and 2013. She has also played the US Open final three times and has reached the semifinals of both Wimbledon and Roland-Garros. This season, she reached the fourth round of the Australian Open and the quarterfinals in Adelaide. Her 2021 season included a finals run in Indian Wells, semifinal appearances in Berlin and Doha and quarterfinal matches in Montreal and Bad Homburg.
- Jessica Pegula, 2019 Citi Open Champion & World No. 9: Top 10 player Pegula won her maiden WTA singles title at the 2019 Citi Open. She reached the tournament’s semifinals in 2016 and was also victorious in Washington in 2021, when she was named the Citi Open Women’s Invitational champion. The American has had a strong 2022 season, including a back-to-back Australian Open quarterfinals appearance, a second Grand Slam quarterfinal in Roland-Garros, a finals berth in Madrid and semifinals appearance in Miami.
- Eugenie Bouchard (WC), 2014 Wimbledon Finalist: Bouchard is returning to tennis this season after undergoing shoulder surgery in 2021. The Canadian has a career-high ranking of World No. 5 and is a Grand Slam finalist and two-time Grand Slam semifinalist. In 2021, she was a finalist in Guadalajara. This will be her seventh time playing the Citi Open, where she reached the singles quarterfinal in 2012 and the doubles final with partner Sloane Stephens in 2017.
The Citi Open is one of only five combined tennis tournaments in the country, featuring professional competition from both men and women. Citi Open’s ATP 500 event will showcase 48 singles players and 16 doubles teams. Its revived WTA 250 event will celebrate its 10th edition in 2022 with a player field featuring 32 singles competitors and 16 doubles teams. The tournament will continue to announce players and updates in the coming weeks.
In April 2019, MDE Sports, owned and led by Washington-based venture capitalist, entrepreneur and civic leader Ein, acquired the management rights of the Citi Open tournament from the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation (WTEF), a non-profit which provides free tennis and educational programs for children in underserved communities. This acquisition secured the Citi Open’s future in the U.S. and specifically in Washington.
For more than 50 years, the Citi Open has hosted top tennis talent in Rock Creek Park. The tournament was founded to support Arthur Ashe’s vision of playing a professional tennis tournament in a fully accessible public park. The Citi Open has continued to build and expand the event, with the goal of positively impacting the Washington community and creating one of the best events in the world. The WTEF, a longtime beneficiary of the Citi Open, capitalizes on the tournament annually for fundraising and has raised millions for youth programs in the Washington area.
Last year’s tournament was the most successful in the event’s history, shattering previous attendance records and selling out all sessions throughout the week. Full tournament packages and single session tickets are on sale now and can be purchased via citiopentennis.com or by calling (202) 721-9500. To learn more about the tournament, ticket options, player fields, event policies and more, visit citiopentennis.com.
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