Reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu will make her debut in the Citi Open, scheduled to be played from July 30 to August 7 this year 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.
"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. The past year has been an unforgettable time in my tennis career and I look forward to adding new memories in Washington this summer," said Raducanu in a WTA statement.
The British teen 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.
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Raducanu's 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 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," he added.
Currently ranked No 12, Raducanu's 2022 season has included appearances at the Australian Open, Paribas Open, Miami Open, Madrid Open and Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, where she reached the quarterfinal and went head-to-head with No 1 Iga Swiatek.
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.
