Sabalenka, Jabeur, Raducanu will start summer hard-court season at DC Open

World No.3 Aryna Sabalenka, two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur and 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu are set to begin their summer hard-court seasons at the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington DC. This year’s field features five Grand Slam champions and three former World No.1s.

The WTA 500 event begins on July 29 and runs concurrently with the Paris 2024 Olympics. It is the first tournament of the North American hard-court summer. After Washington DC, the Hologic WTA Tour will wind through Toronto and Cincinnati for back-to-back WTA 1000s before culminating in the last Grand Slam of the year at the US Open.

Reigning Australian Open champion Sabalenka is set to play her first tournament since the ecotrans Ladies Open in Berlin, after a shoulder injury forced her withdrawal ahead of Wimbledon. Last year, the 26-year-old rose to World No.1 for the first time after making her first US Open final.

Seven of the Top 20 are entered in the 32-player field. Joining Sabalenka and Jabeur are Daria Kasatkina, Madison Keys, Liudmila Samsonova, Victoria Azarenka, and Anna Kalinskaya.

Raducanu will return to the DC Open after a resurgent run through the grass-court season. The 21-year-old from Britain made her first Hologic WTA Tour semifinal of the season at the Rothesay Open and her first Round of 16 at a Slam since her New York triumph. Raducanu has received a wild card into the main draw, along with former No.1 Karolina Pliskova and former No.2 Paula Badosa.

Two American Grand Slam champions have also entered, in Sloane Stephens and Sofia Kenin. Shelby Rogers, Caroline Dolehide and Peyton Stearns round out the strong home contingent.

“We are very proud of the deep player field ready to compete in Washington DC at the 2024 Mubadala Citi DC Open,” said Mark Ein, Mubadala Citi DC Open Chairman. “We have assembled a fantastic group featuring Grand Slam Champions, former World No 1’s, top 10 players and many of the game’s biggest fan favorites. In less than a month, DC will host one of the summer’s largest events, drawing the world’s best players and tennis fans. With record breaking ticket sales, an impressive roster of athletes and an extraordinary fan experience on-site, we are anticipating another unforgettable tournament.”

The Mubadala Citi DC Open is the only combined ATP-WTA 500 level tournament in the world and the fifth-largest professional tennis event in the United States. The 55th edition of the event will take place on outdoor hard courts at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Rock Creek Park.