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Summer doesn’t formally start for a few more weeks, but D.C. is already in a celebratory spirit. We’re well into Pride season, and another sign of summer just dropped this morning: the announcement of players who will lead the field at the tennis tournament now known as the Mubadala Citi DC Open.
The tournament, running from July 29 to Aug. 6 at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Rock Creek Park, has gone by many names over its 53-year history (this author grew up calling it the Legg Mason Tennis Classic), but this new name represents a significant expansion for the long-running event. As of June 1, the Citi Open, an ATP 500-level men’s event, has formally combined with the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic, a WTA 500-level women’s event; the Mubadala Citi DC Open is the only combined ATP-WTA 500-level event in the world. (Full disclosure: Washington City Paper owner Mark Ein is the chairman of MDE Tennis, the organization that oversees tournament operations.)
Along with a new name, the tournament has acquired a lengthy list of tennis stars who will compete in D.C. this summer. Four players who’ve previously won the D.C. title, four players who’ve won Grand Slams, and seven players ranked in the top 10 are scheduled to play beginning late next month.
On the men’s side, hometown favorite Frances Tiafoe joins 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, two-time Olympic gold medalist Andy Murray, and two-time Citi Open winner Nick Kyrgios. Taylor Fritz, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Grigor Dimitrov, and Gaël Monfils will also compete.
Coco Gauff, currently ranked no. 6 in the world, leads a women’s field that will also include Jessica Pegula, Victoria Azarenka, Caroline Garcia, Daria Kasatkina, Elina Svitolina, and Sloane Stephens.
It’s too soon to start thinking about outcomes of the matches, of course, but at this point, we can hope for some choice fashion moments from Tiafoe, a player who’s clearly unafraid of a bold print. Maybe he’ll bring back the killer pastel set he wore at this year’s Australian Open?
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