DC Open: Everything you need to learn about star-studded tennis
The road to the U.S. Open begins this weekend in Washington
. The Mubadala Citi DC Open will go back to the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center, a 7,500-seat center in the Northwest section of Washington that is also the permanent home of the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation.
Here is what you need to know about the tournament that opens Saturday and ends on Sunday, July 27:
What is the Mubadala Citi DC Open?
The competition was co-founded by John A. Harris, Donald Dell, creator of ProServ International, and Arthur Ashe, a Hall of Famer and five-time Grand Slam champion in songs and doubles.
What was once referred to as the Washington Open on the men’s side was first held in 1969, and the tournament was broadened to consist of females in 2011. The occasion was held on clay courts until 1986, when the surface area was changed to tough courts.
Andre Agassi owns the record for the majority of DC Open crowns with five (1990, 1991, 1995, 1998 and 1999). Past champions include Jimmy Connors, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Andy Roddick, and Venus and Serena Williams.
What is the DC Open schedule?
Information on matches for qualifying weekend and the main draw were not yet understood. Certifying weekend occurs this Saturday and Sunday, and the main draw starts Monday and runs through Sunday, July 27.
Evictions at Rock Creek Tennis Center will open to fans at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, 10:30 a.m. Monday through next Thursday, and 11:30 a.m. Friday, July 25 through Sunday, July 27. Fans who have tickets to matches in the future Friday and Saturday will be asked to get in at 4 p.m.
All ticket sales are final, and there are no refunds or exchanges if severe weather condition moves into the location and impacts matches.
For those who can’t go to matches in-person, the DC Open will be broadcast on the Tennis Channel and TC Plus.
Where is the DC Open?
The Rock Creek Park Tennis Center is located at 5220 16th Street NW in Washington. The North Covered Box Seats, Arena Pavilion and Hospitality Suites are the only covered sections inside Arena Court.
Parking is offered, but limited for fans who do not have a parking pass. The closest Metro station to the center is the Van Ness-UDC stop on the Red Line, which has to do with a five-minute ignore the tennis place. Fans are encouraged to access the shuttle bus service from a number of designated parking area.
Just clear bags not going beyond 12 inches by 12 inches by 6 inches, bags not exceeding 8 inches by 5 inches by 1 inch, and fanny packs not going beyond 8 inches by 5 inches will be allowed inside the center. Backpacks are prohibited.
One unopened, transparent plastic bottle of water as much as 33.5 ounces is enabled per individual. If the bottle is not transparent, one empty water container as much as 33.5 ounces is acceptable. Food and beverages are readily available for purchase.
American star Taylor Fritz is coming off a go to the semifinals at Wimbledon. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)Who will play in the DC Open? Half of the top-10 male players in the world are scheduled to play. That group is headed by No. 4 Taylor Fritz, a finalist in last year’s U.S. Open and a semifinalist in last weekend’s Wimbledon, and consists of No. 7 and two-time Grand Slam semifinalist Lorenzo Musetti, No. 8 and three-time major quarterfinalist Holger Rune, No. 9 and two-time Grand Slam semifinalist Ben Shelton, and No. 10 and 10-time major quarterfinalist Andrey Rublev.
The star-studded field also boasts No. 11 and two-time U.S. Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe, who matured in close-by Hyattsville, No. 12 and five-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist Alex de Minaur, No. 14 and 2021 U.S. Open titlist Daniil Medvedev, No. 16 and 2023 Australian Open semifinalist Tommy Paul, and No. 17 Jakub Mensik. Tiafoe and Shelton plan to pair up in doubles.
The females’s draw is led by No. 4 and 2024 U.S. Open semifinalist Jessica Pegula, No. 6 and Olympic gold medalist Qinwen Zheng, No. 7 and 2025 Wimbledon finalist Amanda Anisimova, and No. 11 and 2024 U.S. Open semifinalist Emma Navarro.
That side likewise boasts several Grand Slam champs. Naomi Osaka captured titles at the 2018 and 2020 U.S. Open and the 2019 and 2021 Australian Open, Elena Rybakina won the crown at the 2022 Wimbledon, Emma Raducanu took home the title at the 2021 U.S. Open, and Sofia Kenin collected the crown at the 2020 Australian Open.
A pair of fan favorites are also expected to take the court. Venus Williams, the 45-year-old seven-time major champion, accepted a wildcard and will take part in her very first competitive match in 16 months. And Nick Kyrgios, 30, will play in the songs draw and partner with two-time major semifinalist Gaël Monfils in doubles after missing out on the 2nd half of 2023 and the very first 10 months of 2024 because of injuries.
There are five previous DC Open champions. They are Sebastian Korda (2024 ), Daniel Evans (2023 ), Kyrgios (2019 and 2022), Pegula (2019) and Monfils (2016 ).
Players with regional ties
Frances Tiafoe
The Maryland native returns to his home location with a chance to declare his fourth profession songs title. The No. 11-ranked player worldwide is coming off a quarterfinals appearance at the French Open, where he lost to Musetti.
Last year, “Huge Opponent” lost in the semifinals at the D.C. Classic to Sebastian Korda in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4. He made his launching at the tournament as a 16-year-old in 2014 when it was referred to as the Citi Open. The 27-year-old has an emphatic game, which ought to play well in front of a crowd that figures to be favoring the home town star.
Tiafoe is 18-15 and has yet to win a title this year. He is among the highest-seeded players at the tournament, which will lead to a favorable draw. The Hyattsville native has made numerous quarterfinals and semifinals over the years, but has actually lost a bulk of the time. A win in the country’s capital might catapult him back into the top 10 for simply the 2nd time in his career.
Hailey Baptiste
made it to the fourth round of
the French Open previously this year. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) Hailey Baptiste debuted at 17 years old at this competition and secured perhaps the most significant win of her profession, beating the No. 2 seed and former world No. 7 Madison Keys in the first round in 2019.
A Washington native, she grew up simply five minutes away from the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center. Baptiste started playing with the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation, which is the recipient of the Citi Open, before training in College Park.
Baptise, who’s coached by Tiafoe’s twin sibling Franklin Tiafoe and is friends with Frances, has never ever risen into the top 50 of the singles ranking. However in a relatively open field, the 23-year-old could play her method into the later rounds next week.
Robin Montgomery
At 21, Montgomery has a 126-82 career record. She joined the top 100 as the No. 95 player in the world in June. She got approved for the 2024 Wimbledon Championships and reached the quarterfinals at the 2024 DC Open after beating Shelby Rogers and receiving a walkover from 4th seed Ons Jabeur.
Montgomery was born in Washington. She trains at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park.
Have a news pointer? Contact Edward Lee at eklee@baltsun.com!.?.!, 410-332-6200 and x.com/EdwardLeeSun. Contact Sam Jane at sjane@baltsun.com,410-332-6200 and x.com/Sam_Jane230. Initially Published: July 16, 2025 at 7:00 AM EDT