Last Updated on July 31, 2022
The Citi Open is a professional tennis tournament that is played on outdoor hard courts. The tournament is held annually in Washington, D.C., and it features both singles and doubles competitions for ATP and WTA. As one of the largest tennis tournaments in the United States, the Citi Open is a major destination for both players and fans alike.
Citi Open History
The debut tournament in the U.S. capital was held in 1969, it was known as the Washington Star International. Subsequently, the name of the event changed:
- From 1982 to 1992, the tournament was called the Sovran Bank Classic. Sovran Bank is a subsidiary of Sovran Financial Corporation.
- In the 1993 season, tennis players came to the Newsweek Tennis Classic.
- From 1994 to 2011, the championship was called the Legg Mason Tennis Classic. Legg Mason is a well-known asset management company in the United States.
- Since 2012 the championship is called the Citi Open. Along with the men, leading female tennis players have been coming to the U.S. capital since that time.
It is noteworthy that until 1986 inclusive, ATP Washington was held on clay. Only in the next season, the organizers changed the surface. For a long time, the championship is under the patronage of Donald Dell and John Harris. The former is the founder of ProServ International (a gas and oil company) and the latter is the founder of the technology and investment company Potomac Ventures Investments. Arthur Ashe, a multiple Grand Slam tournament winner, has been a big supporter of the event. In 2019, businessman Mark Ain purchased the rights to the tournament.
In 2015, the organizers of the ATP Washington announced that they were withdrawing from the US Open series. The fact is that ESPN got the exclusive broadcast rights to the series, which decided to show the tournament in the U.S. capital for no more than four hours on the main channel. This did not like one of the founders of the Citi Open Donald Dell. The tournament manager agreed to sign a television broadcasting contract with Tennis Channel. The agreement allowed to increase the recognition of the tournament among the American public. Thus, ATP Washington matches began to be broadcast not only from the center arena, but also from the second court. In 2019, the American Tennis Association agreed on the return of the tournament to the US Open series, but the organizers of the event in the U.S. capital continued cooperation with the Tennis Channel.
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Citi Open Courts
ATP Washington matches are played on the hard courts of the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center, which was built in 1991. The complex is located in Rock Creek Park and is named after William FitzGerald, a prominent social and political figure. He was a philanthropist and U.S. ambassador to Ireland. This large complex has 20 hard courts (five of them in the gym) and 10 clay courts. The main stadium seats 7,500 spectators, including 31 suites with air conditioning. The center is the home of the Citi Open, an annual ATP Tour and WTA Tour event.
FAQ:
Where is the Citi Open played in DC?
The Citi Open is a professional tennis tournament that has been held in Washington, D.C.’s Rock Creek Park for more than 50 years. The Citi Open is played on outdoor hard courts and features both men’s and women’s singles and doubles draws. The tournament is held annually in July and August and serves as a warm-up for the U.S. Open, which starts at the end of August.
Who owns Citi Open?
The Citi Open is a professional tennis tournament that is held annually in Washington, D.C. The tournament’s owner and beneficiary is the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation (WTEF), a non-profit organization that has been improving the lives of underserved youth in the Washington D.C. area for more than 50 years by using tennis as an entry point to share life lessons with young people. The WTEF’s programs provide underserved children with access to quality education and enrichment activities, as well as the opportunity to learn and play tennis. In addition to supporting the WTEF’s programs, the Citi Open also provides vital resources to local tennis organizations that serve youth in underserved communities. As a result, the Citi Open is not only one of the premier professional tennis tournaments in the world, but also a powerful force for social good in Washington, D.C.
What did the Citi Open used to be called?
The Citi Open, a professional tennis tournament held in Washington, D.C., was first held on the men’s tour in 1969. It was originally known as the Washington Star International, after its sponsor, the Washington Star newspaper. In 1982, the tournament was renamed the Sovran Bank Classic after Sovran Bank became the new sponsor. In 1993, Newsweek magazine became a sponsor and the tournament was renamed the Newsweek Tennis Classic. In 1994, Legg Mason became the title sponsor and the tournament became the Legg Mason Tennis Classic. Since 2012, the championship has been referred to as the Citi Open. Leading female tennis players have been coming to the US capital along with the men. The Citi Open has been one of the premier events on the men’s professional tennis tour for more than forty years and shows no signs of slowing down.
Is Citi Open only men?
No. Since 2012, the championship is called the Citi Open. Along with the men from that time the leading female tennis players come to the capital of the United States.
