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While Qualifiers Battle, It’s @RafaelNadal Madness at @CincyTennis Opening Day

Posted by Admin on August 14, 2022
Posted in: ATP Qualifying, Cincinnati, Western & Southern Open, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

While Qualifiers Battle, It’s Rafael Nadal Madness at Cincy Tennis Opening Day

Steve Fogleman in Cincinnati

The fans were parked at the gate for an hour or more before the 9:00 a.m. opening of the 2022 Western & Southern Open in Mason, Ohio yesterday. When they arrived, they were treated to an epic practice session between Rafael Nadal and Matteo Berrettini on Stadium Court 3 for over two hours. The practice was so intense and the fans so tantalized by every shot, it dawned on me that Rafael Nadal never practices, but rather competes. No ball is ever safe from being pummeled back over the net by the King, and Berrettini held up well to Nadal’s challenge. I worry for Frances Tiafoe, who Berrettini faces in the first round after watching the Italian grind it out with Nadal.

I’m not terribly worried for Nadal, even though security was also in warm-up mode after the player’s practice. Everyone knew that there would be a scrum for the Spaniard after the hit and staff had two hours to get a plan together. Instead, someone tried to place a rope through the crowd after it had already assembled and there was a delay in procuring a second rope to create space for the player. As a result, Nadal was stuck in a standstill traffic jam immediately before the above video was captured. It’s a good thing the man loves his fans, because there were a lot of them in close range today. That brings me to an important detail I should share: Cincinnati fans and Marshalls are exceptionally friendly, so Nadal was never ever in danger. Many fans responded to our twitter account that security had badly failed Nadal yesterday. I don’t believe he felt that way about the interaction. In fact, I posit to you that he enjoyed every minute of that brief fan fest. It’s also worth noting that qualifying weekend is always a chance to work out the wrinkles in every tournament. Look at the photo below. That’s definitely not Mertens nor is it Rybakina out there. It’s Shapolov, and no one complained to the sign board operators. The whole weekend is PRACTICE, unless of course your name is Rafael Nadal.

The fans weren’t the only ones going bananas yesterday in Ohio. American Bradley Klahn buried his face in a towel for several minutes and seemed to bawl after his three set win over Alexei Popyrin , 7-5, 7-6(3). Klahn has been beset by injuries in recent years and was so excited after the win he started handing out his banana allotment, which was quickly accepted by a young fan. I have photographed so many autographs in my life that I was hoping he’d sign the bananas. Luckily, he did not.

Marie Bouzkova was the first winner of the tournament as she breezed past Aleks Krunic yesterday, 6-1, 6-2, and will face Donna Vekic later today. Other WTA qualifying finals set for today are Garcia/Petkovic, Potapova/Kalinskaya, Tomljanovic/Parrizas Diaz, Kalinina/Martic, Kostyuk/Frech and the All-American match up between Taylor Townsend and local talent Peyton Stearns (#364).

Qualifying men’s finals today include Musetti/Lajovic, Laaksonen/Monteiro, Ivashka/Kokkinakis, Tseng/Goffin, Sonego/Klahn, Munar/Johnson and Giron/Fognini.

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2022 @CITIOPEN PLAYER FIELDS FEATURE THREE 3 WORLD NO. 1 PLAYERS, 6 GRAND SLAM CHAMPIONS, 3 D.C. TITLISTS & 3 OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALISTS

Posted by Admin on July 6, 2022
Posted in: ATP, Citi Open, Washington, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
Andy Murray (Photo: Mike Renz for Tennis Atlantic)

Citi Open announces full preliminary player fields for its combined ATP/WTA event in Washington, D.C., July 30 – August 7, featuring Andy Murray, Simona Halep, Emma Raducanu, Taylor Fritz and more top talent

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Citi Open®, Washington, D.C.’s combined ATP/WTA professional tennis tournament, has released its preliminary player fields for this year’s event. The stacked competition includes three former World No. 1 players, six Grand Slam champions, four former Citi Open titlists, three Olympic gold medalists and 10 top 20 players. The 2022 Citi Open will be held July 30 – August 7 in Rock Creek Park.

Highlights from the main draws include:

  • Three Former World No. 1s: Andy Murray, Simona Halep, Victoria Azarenka
  • Six Grand Slam Champions: Andy Murray, Emma Raducanu, Simona Halep, Victoria Azarenka, Sloane Stephens, Sofia Kenin (WC)
  • Three Olympic Gold Medalists: Andy Murray (London & Rio de Janeiro, Singles), Andrey Rublev (Tokyo, Mixed Doubles), Victoria Azarenka (London, Mixed Doubles)
  • Four Former Citi Open Champions: Nick Kyrgios, Kei Nishikori (WC), Jessica Pegula, Sloane Stephens
  • Ten Top 20 Players: Andrey Rublev, Hubert Hurkacz, Taylor Fritz, Denis Shapovalov, Reilly Opelka, Jessica Pegula, Emma Raducanu, Leylah Fernandez, Simona Halep, Victoria Azarenka
  • Eight of the Top Nine American Men: Taylor Fritz, Reilly Opelka, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, Jenson Brooksby, Maxime Cressy, Sebastian Korda, Mackenzie McDonald
  • Six 2022 Wimbledon Quarterfinalists: David Goffin, Taylor Fritz, Nick Kyrgios, Simona Halep (semifinalist), Marie Bouzkova, Ajla Tomljanovic

“We are thrilled to share the terrific field of top men’s and women’s players we have lined up for the 2022 Citi Open. The draws will be filled by Grand Slam champions, former World No. 1s, past Citi Open winners, top 20 players and a few new and exciting faces making their tournament debuts,” said Mark Ein, Citi Open Chairman. “In less than a month, our fans will get the opportunity to watch these incredible, world-class athletes, who they follow around the globe, compete right here in the nation’s capital. It’s going to be another memorable week of tennis in Washington.”

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. The revived WTA 250 tournament will feature 32 singles competitors and 16 doubles teams. Additional players will join the main draws via wild card entry, to be announced in the coming weeks. 

Among the new players announced today are: 

Andy Murray, Three-time Grand Slam Champion & Former World No. 1: Andy Murray holds 46 career titles, including the 2012 US Open title and 2013 and 2016 Wimbledon titles. He was the first player to win two Olympic gold medals and was the first British World No. 1 player. This season he reached the finals in Stuttgart and Sydney. Murray will compete in the Citi Open for the fourth time in 2022, where he was a finalist in 2006 and a quarterfinalist in 2018.

Hubert Hurkacz, World No. 10: Hubert Hurkacz recently captured his fifth ATP title in Halle. This season he reached the semifinals in Miami and Dubai and the quarterfinals in Madrid and Monte Carlo. In 2021, the 25-year-old won the title in Metz, Miami and Delray Beach and was also a semifinalist at Wimbledon.

Denis Shapovalov, World No. 16: Canadian Denis Shapovalov is currently ranked World No. 16. The 23-year-old has reached three quarterfinals this season, at the Australian Open and in Doha and Rome, and the semifinals in Dubai. He is a 2021 Wimbledon semifinalist and 2020 US Open quarterfinalist. 

Karen Khachanov, World No. 22: Karen Khachanov is a four-time ATP champion and is currently ranked World No. 22. The 26-year-old reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 2021 and Roland-Garros in 2019. This season, he was a finalist in Adelaide (International 1) and a semifinalist in Doha and Belgrade. 

Holger Rune, World No. 29: Holger Rune will make his Citi Open debut in 2022. The 19-year-old

captured his maiden ATP title this season in Munich. He also found success at Roland-Garros, where he became the first Danish man to reach the tournament’s quarterfinal. He is the 2019 Roland-Garros boys’ singles champion. 

Jenson Brooksby, World No. 33: American Jenson Brooksby will compete in the Citi Open for the second time in 2022, where he was a semifinalist last year. In 2021, he reached the fourth round of the US Open as a 20-year-old wild card, becoming the first American in the US Open’s fourth round since Andy Roddick in 2002. Brooskby was a finalist in Dallas this season. 

Sebastian Korda, World No. 46: Sebastian Korda, the 22-year-old American, will compete in the Citi Open for the second time in 2022. This year marks 30 years since his father, Petr Korda, captured the Citi Open title in 1992. His 2022 season included a quarterfinal appearance in Delray Beach and a semifinal berth in Estoril.

Mackenzie McDonald, World No. 55: Mackenzie McDonald reached his first ATP final at the 2021 Citi Open, where he defeated former champions and 2022 contenders Nick Kyrgios and Kei Nishikori on the way to the final. This year will be his fourth time competing in D.C. The 27-year-old American was a quarterfinalist this season in Dubai. 

Ajla Tomljanovic, World No. 44: Australian Ajla Tomljanovic will make her debut appearance at the Citi Open this summer. This season, the 29-year-old reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and in Istanbul, Morocco and Nottingham. She was also a Wimbledon quarterfinalist in 2021. 

Other notable player additions in the field include Maxime Cressy, David Goffin, Tommy Paul, Elise Mertens and Marie Bouzkova. Several players in the 2022 field have also found success in Washington in years past. In addition to the four former singles champions, the field includes 2018 finalist Alex de Minaur, 2018 semifinalist Andrey Rublev, 2019 semifinalist Anna Kalinskaya, 2018 finalist Donna Vekic and 2013 finalist and 2017 and ‘18 semifinalist Andrea Petkovic.

2021 @CincyTennis Approaching Irrelevance as Major Stars Withdraw

Posted by Admin on August 11, 2021
Posted in: ATP, Cincinnati, WTA. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

2021 @CincyTennis Approaching Irrelevance as Major Stars Withdraw


CINCINNATI (Aug. 11, 2021) -Rafael Nadal (foot) and Milos Raonic (heel) have withdrawn from the Western & Southern Open.  Nadal was the 2013 Western & Southern Open champion and Raonic was the 2020 runner-up.  Daniil Medvedev, who won the 2019 Western & Southern Open when it was last held in Cincinnati, will be the tournament’s top men’s seed as the No. 2 player in the ATP Rankings.

CINCINNATI (August 10, 2021) Three players have withdrawn from the women’s field – Sofia Kenin (foot), Serena Williams (leg) and Venus Williams.

CINCINNATI (Aug. 9, 2021) -Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the Western & Southern Open. A two-time tournament champion, Djokovic won last year’s staging of the event that took place in New York. 
A 20-time Major champion, the World No. 1 Djokovic has won the first three Grand Slam events this season.

CINCINNATI (Aug. 5, 2021) –  Seven-time Western & Southern Open champion Roger Federer has withdrawn from the 2021 tournament due to a knee injury. A 20-time Major champion, Federer is the winningest player at the Western & Southern Open with a 47-10 record.

See you there.

 

It’s Hardware Sunday at @CitiOpen

Posted by Admin on August 8, 2021
Posted in: ATP, Citi Open, Washington. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
Citi Open, Credit: Ryan Loco

It’s Hardware Sunday at Citi Open

Steve Fogleman in Washington

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.

It’s Back to Business as a Normal ATP 500 for @CitiOpen

Posted by Admin on August 6, 2021
Posted in: ATP, Citi Open, Washington. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

It’s Back to Business as a Normal ATP 500 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.

Jenson Brooksby Gets Even With Kevin Anderson in @CitiOpen Rematch of Newport Final

Posted by Admin on August 2, 2021
Posted in: ATP. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Jenson Brooksby Gets Even With Kevin Anderson in Citi Open Rematch of Newport Final

Steve Fogleman 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.

Your @CitiOpen First Take: The @RafaelNadal Effect

Posted by Admin on August 1, 2021
Posted in: ATP, Citi Open, Washington. Tagged: , , , , . 1 Comment
Photo: Christopher Levy, @tennis_shots

Your Citi Open First Take: The Rafa Effect

Steve Fogleman in Washington

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.

Deep @CincyTennis Qualifying Has Six 2021 Tournament Champions…and One @Sloanestephens

Posted by Admin on July 29, 2021
Posted in: ATP, Cincinnati, Western & Southern Open. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Deep @CincyTennis Qualifying Has Six 2021 Tournament Champions…and One @Sloanestephens

CINCINNATI, Ohio (July 28, 2021) – Six players who have won tour titles this season highlight the qualifying field entrants for the 2021 Western & Southern Open. 

The qualifying tournament occurs during Opening Weekend, presented by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Aug. 14-15. Fifteen players – seven women and eight men – will advance out of the two-round qualifying tournament into the 56-player main draw fields for the Western & Southern Open. 

Four players who have won WTA titles in 2021 highlight the women’s qualifying field, including Sara Sorribes Tormo (Guadalajara), Liudmila Samsonova (Berlin), 18-year-old Leylah Fernandez (Monterrey) and 19-year-old Maria Camila Osorio Serrano (Bogota).

The field also includes Olympic quarterfinalist Camila Giorgi, who is fresh off two singles wins over opponents ranked in the top 15. Former US Open champion and 2017 WTA Comeback Player of the Year Sloane Stephens has also entered the qualifying field. 

Carlos Alcaraz and Sebastian Korda have claimed titles on the ATP tour in 2021, with Alcaraz, 18, winning in Umag and Korda conquering the championship in Parma. The 21-year-old Korda is the son of two-time Western & Southern Open quarterfinalist Petr Korda.
The men’s qualifying field also features players who went deep in previous Western & Southern Opens, including Jan-Lennard Struff (2020 Quarterfinals), Richard Gasquet (2019 Semifinals) and Yoshihito Nishioka (2019 Quarterfinals). 
An additional four players will be awarded wild cards for each qualifying field while an additional three players may join the ATP field through a special exemption. 

Dominic Thiem and Stan Wawrinka have both withdrawn from the ATP main draw entry list due to injuries. Alternates John Millman and Dusan Lajovic will now join the field. 

While the qualifying matches take place over opening weekend, many main draw players will also be on the grounds practicing. The main draw action begins Sunday for the ATP with a full slate of main draw play on top from Monday, Aug. 16. The full schedule is available here.

All tickets, including full series, mini-plans, single session and hospitality packages, are now on sale and information about available tickets can be found here. 

The Western & Southern Open will be held Aug. 14-22, with first serve taking place at 10 a.m. on Aug. 14 for the qualifying tournament. The men’s and women’s singles finals will take place on Sunday, Aug. 22.
The schedule is available here.

The Western & Southern Open, an ATP Masters 1000 and a WTA 1000, is part of the US Open Series and is held at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio.

Tennis Superstar @RafaelNadal to Make @CitiOpen Debut on Wednesday, August 4, 2021

Posted by Admin on July 29, 2021
Posted in: ATP, Citi Open, Washington. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment

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:

https://www.etix.com/ticket/v/16365/citi-open-tennis-tournament-rock-creek-park-tennis-center

“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).

—S. Pratt

2021 @CitiOpen Goes to 100% Capacity in Historic Return of Washington’s Summer Tennis Tradition

Posted by Admin on July 15, 2021
Posted in: ATP, Citi Open, Washington. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Tournament Restores Full Prize Money to Players to Increase Purse by $750,000 


Washington (July 15)—DC sports fans and the world’s top tennis players got some exciting news today. This morning, MDE Sports announced that the 2021 Citi Open will be held at full, 100% fan capacity this summer at Washington DC’s Rock Creek Park Tennis Center from July 31 – August 8. The announcement comes after the National Park Service (NPS), which manages Rock Creek Park, issued updated guidelines to enable full capacity for Citi Open Fans and is further evidence that Washington, D.C. is back.

“We are thrilled to be able to invite fans back to Rock Creek Park at full capacity,” said Mark Ein, Citi Open chairman and CEO of MDE Tennis. “This is an exciting development, not just for tennis fans, but the whole DC community.  We are grateful to the National Park Service for their long partnership with the event and enabling full capacity for the 2021 Citi Open.” 

The development has also enabled organizers to restore full tournament prize money. In order to hold the event at the initial 50 percent fan capacity limit, players agreed to a 40 percent pay reduction. With all fan restrictions lifted and before any additional tickets are sold, MDE Sports proactively increased the total 2021 Citi Open prize money by $750,000, returning the tournament purse to pre-pandemic levels.

“We are especially pleased to be able to pay the players full prize money after a difficult period of time for many on tour,” added Ein. “It is all something we never thought possible just a few months ago. To do this and welcome back fans without any restrictions is a testament to the resilience of this city and our community. We can’t wait to see the faces and hear the roar of full crowds once again. It will be a very special moment in the history of this great tournament.”

“To see this event bounce back from challenges of the last year and announce full prize money for 2021 is fantastic news,” said ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi. “It sends a positive message of recovery for our entire sport. We would like to recognize Mark Ein and the Citi Open team for the hard work and ambition that made this possible.”

The news follows the recent announcement that all-time great Rafael Nadal will begin his bid to win a record-setting 21st Grand Slam at the 2021 Citi open in his Washington debut. With fan attendance originally restricted to 50 percent capacity, tickets were already substantially sold out before the announcement of Nadal went viral. The news topped 1.2 billion media impressions worldwide and has led to overwhelming demand for tickets to see the Spaniard win his 89th ATP title at the historic US Open Series event in DC’s Rock Creek Park. 
The tournament’s waitlist for tickets exceeded 6,800 names before fan restrictions were lifted Thursday morning. The revised capacity guidelines have allowed tournament officials to release approximately 3,000 additional daily seats to meet the unprecedented demand at the box office for the event. These tickets will be made available first to fans currently on, or who join, the waitlist on a full tournament basis. To provide greater accessibility, the tournament has reserved a small number of individual session tickets that will be available for sale next week. 

In addition to Nadal, the 2021 Citi Open will also feature a star-studded player field comprised of two Top-10, six Top-20, and eleven Top-30 players, including recent Wimbledon semifinalists Hubert Hurkacz and new world No. 10 Denis Shapovalov, quarterfinalists Felix Auger-Aliassime and Karen Khachanov, and defending 2019 Citi Open champion Nick Kyrgios, as well as US Olympic team stars Coco Gauff, Jennifer Brady, and Jessica Pegula, who will headline the inaugural Citi Open Women’s Invitational.