WASHINGTON, D.C. – Reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu will compete in the 2022 Citi Open, Washington, D.C.’s premier tennis tournament, July 30 through Aug. 7 at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center. The tournament recently announced it will once again host a WTA event in conjunction with its current ATP event, making the Citi Open one of only five combined tennis tournaments in the country, featuring professional competition from both men and women.
Raducanu exploded onto the tennis scene in 2021 after winning her first title at the US Open in September. Just 18 years old and ranked World No. 150 at the time, she became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam and the first British woman to win one since 1977. Her historic run to the title included a 20-set win streak, where she captured all 10 matches in Flushing Meadows in two sets.
Her 2021 season also included a memorable fourth-round appearance at Wimbledon, where she was awarded a main-draw Wild Card and defeated several top players in her Grand Slam tournament debut.
“The past few weeks have been very exciting for Washington tennis fans. We officially announced the return of the Hologic WTA Tour to the Citi Open, and now, the reigning US Open champion will compete in our player field this August,” said Mark Ein, Citi Open Chairman. “Emma delighted crowds and took the tennis world by storm last summer when she made her unforgettable run to the US Open title. We can’t wait to welcome Emma to DC for the first time.”
Currently ranked No.12, Raducanu’s 2022 season has included appearances at the Australian Open, BNP Paribas Open, Miami Open, Mutua Madrid Open and the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, where she reached the quarterfinal and went head-to-head with No.1 Iga Swiatek. This will be the British teen’s first time competing in Washington.
“I’m thrilled that the Citi Open is bringing back its WTA tournament and I’m really excited to compete on the courts in DC for the first time,” Raducanu said. “The past year has been an unforgettable time in my tennis career and I look forward to adding new memories in Washington this summer.”
Citi Open’s revived WTA 250 event will celebrate its 10th edition in 2022 with a stacked player field, featuring 32 singles competitors, 16 doubles teams and 16 qualifiers. The inaugural tournament was staged in 2011 at College Park, Maryland, and moved venues to Washington in 2012. Past champions include Jessica Pegula, Sloane Stephens and the doubles team of Coco Gauff and Caty McNally.
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.
Planning and player commitments are underway for the 2022 Citi Open. 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 are on sale now and can be purchased via email at tickets@mdetennis.com or by calling (202) 721-9500. To learn more about the tournament, ticket options, player fields, event policies and more, visit citiopentennis.com.
