By Erik Gudris | @atntennis | Thursday, June 1, 2023
The long-running tennis event in Washington, D.C. introduced a brand new sponsor and a brand new format in time for its 54th version beginning on July 29.
Tournament organizers revealed the newly-named Mubadala Citi DC Open will happen beginning on July twenty ninth.
The new occasion would be the first and solely mixed ATP and WTA 500 occasion on the calendar.
The occasion combines final 12 months’s San Jose WTA 250 occasion and the ATP/WTA occasion in Washington D.C. ATP gamers have competed in D.C. for the reason that event’s starting in 1969. The WTA tour joined the occasion in 2012, albeit in a unique tier designation. Now each ATP and WTA occasions will likely be on the identical 500 stage.
One of the nation’s most historic tournaments enters a brand new chapter as DC hosts the primary ever mixed @atptour & @WTA 500 stage occasion and welcome a brand new co-title companion @Mubadala.
Introducing the Mubadala Citi DC Open coming to our nation’s capital this summer time! #MubadalaCitiDC pic.twitter.com/23kB0B6By3
— Mubadala Citi DC Open (@mubadalacitidc) June 1, 2023
“Since we took over the Citi Open in 2019, one of our top goals was to secure the long-term rights to host an equal level WTA 500 event in combination with our historic ATP 500 event that is beloved by our community and that has been a highlight of summers in Washington for 53 years. We are thrilled to now make that a reality and are deeply grateful to Mubadala and Citi for this unique and impactful partnership,” mentioned Mark Ein, Mubadala Citi DC Open’s Chairman. “Being able to showcase men and women at the same highest-level events is one of the things that makes tennis so special, and this move solidifies the Mubadala Citi DC Open as one of the premiere professional tennis tournaments in the world.”
“We’d like to thank the Bay area for over 50 years of support, enthusiasm and passion. We’ve loved bringing the best in women’s tennis to your doorstep year after year,” said Josh Ripple, SVP of Tennis Events at IMG, the proprietor and operator of the WTA 500 occasion. “While we’re sad to go, we are also very excited about this new chapter in the event’s history as the only 500-level combined event on the tours in the U.S. We hope that by bringing this event to D.C. we can start new traditions and bring that same passion for women’s tennis we saw in San Jose to the capital.”
Steve Simon, WTA Chairman & CEO mentioned: “The Bay Area has played host to so many unforgettable moments at one of the Hologic WTA Tour’s longest-running tournaments. The legacy of this much-loved event will live on in its new home, in Washington D.C., where I am excited to see WTA and ATP stars competing together for the first time at the 500 level, creating new memories for many more years to come.”
The new occasion nonetheless have to be permitted by the ATP Board.
Season tickets for the 2023 Mubadala Citi DC Open are already on sale.
Photo Credit: Rich Kessler/Citi Open
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