Tournament features world-class player field and unparalleled fan experiences; tickets already 92 percent sold out

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Mubadala Citi DC Open, the fifth largest professional tennis event in the United States and the only combined ATP-WTA 500 level tennis tournament in the world, has announced its main draw wildcards ahead of the highly-anticipated 54th edition of the tournament, July 29 - August 6. The event, which annually takes place in Washington D.C. at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Rock Creek Park, has awarded main draw wild cards to 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, 2023 Wimbledon semifinalist Elina Svitolina, 2022 Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins, 2014 US Open finalist and 2015 D.C. champion Kei Nishikori, 2016 D.C. champion Gaël Monfils and two-time Grand Slam finalist Kevin Anderson. In addition, 2023 Wimbledon girl's singles champion and D.C. native Clervie Ngounoue as well as another D.C. native and University of Michigan tennis standout Andrew Fenty have been awarded qualifying draw wild cards. 

The 2023 tournament features an unprecedentedly deep main draw player field that includes six top ten players, five Grand Slam champions, three former World No. 1’s and six past D.C. champions. 

The wild cards join an ATP field featuring 2019 and 2022 D.C. singles and doubles champion Nick Kyrgios, former World No. 1, three-time Grand Slam champion and two-time Gold Medalist Andy Murray, World No. 9 and 2022 Indian Wells champion Taylor Fritz, World No. 10 and Washington, D.C. native Frances Tiafoe, 2021 US Open semifinalist and World No. 12 Felix Auger-Aliassime and three-time Grand Slam semifinalist Grigor Dimitrov. The Washington, D.C. The WTA field includes World No. 7 and 2019 D.C. doubles champion Coco Gauff, World No. 4 and 2019 D.C. singles and 2022 doubles champion Jessica Pegula, former World No. 1 and two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, World No. 5 and 2022 WTA Finals champion Caroline Garcia, World No. 9 Maria Sakkari, two-time Grand Slam finalist and former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova, World No. 11 and 2022 San Jose champion Daria Kasatkina, 2017 US Open champion and 2015 D.C. champion Sloane Stephens. 

“We have an incredible player field committed to compete in this year’s Mubadala Citi DC Open, the first and only combined ATP and WTA 500 level tournament in the world,” said Mark Ein, Mubadala Citi DC Open Chairman. “Awarding two Grand Slam champions and three Grand Slam finalists wild cards into our event only strengthens an already incredibly deep player field. With over 92 percent of our tickets sold and this unbelievable player field and world-class food and beverage experiences throughout the site, we anticipate the tournament will sell out for a third year in a row. 

2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez is also one of many top competitors in the qualifying draws. The 20-year-old Canadian has captured two WTA career singles titles. She reached three doubles finals this season in Roland-Garros, Miami and Auckland. 

Wild card commitments include: 

• Sofia Kenin: Sofia Kenin won her first Grand Slam title in 2020 at the Australian Open, reached the finals of the French Open the same year and holds five WTA singles titles. The former World No. 4 reached the semifinals at the Hobart International this year, as well as the third round of Wimbledon. This will be the American’s third time competing in Washington, D.C.
  
  

• Bianca Andreescu: 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu will compete in D.C. for the second time, reaching the quarterfinals in 2017. The Canadian holds three WTA titles and has been ranked as high as World No. 3. She is the only Canadian tennis player to ever win a Grand Slam.
  
  

• Elina Svitolina: Former World No. 3 Elina Svitolina will compete for the first time in Washington, D.C. at the 2023 Mubadala Citi DC Open. The Ukrainian and new mom returned to tennis in April after a year hiatus. She holds 17 WTA titles, including a win in Strasbourg in May. She recently reached the Wimbledon semifinals and Roland Garros quarterfinals. 

• Danielle Collins: 2022 Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins will make her Washington debut this year. The 29-year-old American has been ranked as high as World No. 7 and holds two WTA career titles. She won two NCAA singles titles while at the University of Virginia. This season, she captured the Charleston doubles title and reached the semifinals in Austin.
  
  

• Kevin Anderson: Kevin Anderson is a former World No. 5, seven-time ATP champion and a two-time Grand Slam finalist, reaching the 2017 US Open finals and 2018 Wimbledon finals. The 37-year-old South African retired from tennis 14 months ago, but made his comeback last week in Newport where he reached the quarterfinals. This will be Anderson’s tenth time in the D.C. field. He reached the finals in 2017. 
  
  

• Kei Nishikori: Kei Nishikori is the top Asian men’s tennis player in history. He holds 12 career ATP titles and is the 2015 Citi Open champion. Along with his title in D.C., the Japanese player 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. He will make his return to the ATP Tour this week in Atlanta for his first tournament since October 2021.
  
  

• Gael Monfils: Gael Monfils has accepted a main draw wild card for the 2023 Mubadala Citi DC Open. The Frenchman recently returned to tennis after suffering a heel injury in 2022. He holds 11 ATP singles titles and has been ranked as high as World No. 6. His 2022 season included a title in Adelaide and a quarterfinal appearance at the Australian Open. He captured the Washington, D.C. title in 2016 and was a finalist in 2011.
  
  

• Clervie Ngounoue: Seventeen-year old and Washington, D.C. native Clervie Ngounoue will compete in the Mubadala Citi DC Open qualifying field after recently winning the 2023 Wimbledon girl's singles title. She is currently ranked No. 2 on the ITF junior circuit. Earlier this season she captured the Roland Garros girls’ doubles title. Last year she took home the 2022 Australian Open girls’ doubles title.
  
  

• Andrew Fenty: Andrew Fenty is a 2022 graduate of the University of Michigan, where he arrived as a five-star recruit and the World No. 9 player in the ITF juniors ranking. During his collegiate career, he was ranked as high as No. 14 in the nation in singles and No. 2 in doubles. His honors include being named the ITA All-American (2020), ITA Freshman of the Year (2019), Big Ten Player of the Year (2020) and Big Ten Rookie of the Year (2019), among others. Fenty began his professional career this summer and was a recipient of the 2023 Universal Tennis Foundation Hurd Award in March. The American’s father, Adrian Fenty, is the former mayor of Washington, D.C.

Early commitments Daniil Medvedev and Nick Kyrgios have withdrawn from the tournament due to injury. 

In addition to the on-court action, the tournament continues to revolutionize the fan experience with beloved DC restaurateurs and premium partners delivering unparalleled food and beverage offerings, plus programming that gives fans the opportunity to get closer than ever to the world’s best players. 

This year’s culinary lineup will be headlined by four renowned Michelin-starred and DC-based chefs, José Andrés and Nicholas Stefanelli, and exciting new additions, chefs Patrick O’Connell and Michael Mina. Andrés will again share his celebrated Spanish cuisine, alongside Maryland native, Stefanelli, who will prepare a selection of Italian delights from his beloved Michelin-starred restaurant, Masseria. O’Connell, whose The Inn At Little Washington holds three Michelin Stars, will offer his famous truffled popcorn in the Citi Lounge as well as suites throughout the FitzGerald Tennis Center, marking the first time this beloved delicacy has been available at a public event.

Across the grounds, tournament sponsors will keep tennis fans engaged through exciting new activations, including Stella Artois who will bring a vintage airstream rolling into Rock Creek Park. As is tradition at DC’s iconic tennis tournament, daily autograph sessions, meet and greets, family days, tennis talks and more will provide endless opportunities for fans to interact with the stars of the ATP and WTA Tours.

When purchasing tickets for the 2023 Mubadala Citi DC Open, patrons have the option to choose from single session tickets and a range of upgraded ticket packages and seat offerings, providing the best value, views and benefits to ticket holders. Tickets and packages can be purchased online at mubadalacitidcopen.com or by calling (202) 721-9500. For additional information, please email [email protected]. 

In April 2019, MDE Sports, owned and led by Washington-based venture capitalist, entrepreneur and civic leader Mark Ein, acquired the management rights of the Mubadala Citi DC 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 Mubadala Citi DC Open’s future in the U.S. and specifically in Washington.

For more than 50 years, the Mubadala Citi DC 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 Mubadala Citi DC 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 Mubadala Citi DC Open, capitalizes on the tournament annually for fundraising and has raised millions for youth programs in the Washington area.

The 2022 tournament featured historic attendance records and sold out sessions throughout the week. Full tournament packages are on sale now and can be purchased via mubadalacitidcopen.com or by calling (202) 721-9500. To learn more about the tournament, ticket options, player fields, event policies and more, visit mubadalacitidcopen.com. 

About Mubadala Citi DC Open: The Mubadala Citi DC Open tournament, played in Washington D.C., is one of the world’s premier tennis events and benefits the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation (WTEF). The tournament was founded in 1969 by Donald Dell, John Harris and Arthur Ashe in its current location in Rock Creek Park with a vision of making pro tennis accessible for all athletes and fans in the Washington community. Beginning in 2019, venture capitalist, entrepreneur, and DC native Mark Ein’s organization, MDE Tennis, began managing and operating the tournament under an agreement with WTEF. The organization provides underserved children in the D.C. area with a safe environment to learn critical life skills both on and off the courts through academic and athletic enrichment. The Mubadala Citi DC Open tennis tournament is the only combined ATP and WTA 500 level event in the world on the tour calendar and one of only five combined ATP/WTA tour events in the United States.  After 53 years, it is also the longest-running professional tennis event at the same site in the United States. 

About MDE Tennis: MDE Tennis, which is part of MDE Sports & Entertainment, oversees operations for the Mubadala Citi DC Open. Mark D. Ein is the CEO of MDE Sports & Entertainment and MDE Tennis. Ein is an investor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, who has created, acquired, invested in and built a series of growth companies across a diverse set of industries over the course of his 30-year career. During this time, Ein has been involved in the founding or early stages of six companies that have been worth over one billion dollars and has led over $10 billion of private equity, venture capital, and public company investments.  Ein is the Founder and CEO of Capitol Investment Corporation, Venturehouse Group, LLC and Leland Investment Co.    Ein is deeply dedicated to supporting his Washington area community with active leadership roles on many community, charitable and cultural organizations including currently serving on the boards of the DC Public Education Fund (Chairman), DC College Access Program (DC-CAP), and DC Policy Center (Co-Founder). He formerly served on the Board of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) from 2012-2018 (serving as a Vice President of the Board from 2016-2018) and has served as a Presidential Appointee to the USTA Board since 2018. Ein has been a member of the World Economic Forum since 2016, and the Gridiron Club, the oldest and one of the most prestigious journalistic organizations in Washington, D.C.   A native of the Washington, D.C., area and a ball boy in his youth at the city’s summer pro tennis tournament that became the Citi Open, Ein was also the Founder and Owner of the Washington Kastles, the most successful team in World TeamTennis history. The Kastles won the league championship six of its 13 years in the league and holds the record for the longest winning streak in U.S. pro team sports history winning 34 straight matches from 2011 through 2013. In September 2009, Washington D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty presented Ein with the Key to the City, highlighting his Washington Kastles success on the court and, “for their commitment to the District’s communities and our youth.”  In September 2018, Ein founded the Washington Justice esports franchise in the Overwatch League, bringing the premier global esports league to the greater Washington, D.C. region. Also in 2018, Ein acquired the Washington City Paper, the renowned weekly paper serving the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area since 1981. 

About Mubadala: Mubadala Investment Company is a sovereign investor managing a global portfolio, aimed at generating sustainable financial returns for the Government of Abu Dhabi. 

Mubadala’s $284 billion (AED 1045 billion) portfolio spans six continents with interests in multiple sectors and asset classes. We leverage our deep sectoral expertise and long-standing partnerships to drive sustainable growth and profit, while supporting the continued diversification and global integration of the economy of the United Arab Emirates. For more information about Mubadala Investment Company, please visit: www.mubadala.com

About Citi: Citi is a preeminent banking partner for institutions with cross-border needs, a global leader in wealth management and a valued personal bank in its home market of the United States. Citi does business in nearly 160 countries and jurisdictions, providing corporations, governments, investors, institutions and individuals with a broad range of financial products and services. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com | Twitter: @Citi | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/citi | YouTube: www.youtube.com/citi | Facebook: www.facebook.com/citi

About WTEF: The Washington Tennis & Education Foundation (WTEF) is a premier educational and tennis organization for underserved children in Washington, D.C. The mission of WTEF is to improve the life prospects of low-income, underserved children and youth in the District of Columbia through athletic and academic enrichment. WTEF seeks to keep children off city streets during out-of-school time in a safe environment they can trust. We also engage them in productive activities that teach discipline, build confidence, improve school performance, and encourage a healthy lifestyle. WTEF empowers students to achieve their highest potential by helping them develop meaningful values and critical life skills that will lead them to make constructive life choices. WTEF builds life champions. For more information, visit wtef.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Arielle Alpino

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