Coco Gauff, the 15-year-old American tennis player who upset Venus Williams at Wimbledon and advanced to the round of 16, will come to the District for her first tennis appearance since Wimbledon at the Citi Open.
Gauff has signed up for the Citi Open qualifying tournament, and if she is entered into qualifying and wins two matches, she will grab a spot in the main draw. The main tournament runs July 29-Aug. 4.
The Citi Open is one of several hard-court tournaments in the U.S. and Canada that serve as tune-ups for the U.S. Open, the final Grand Slam of the year in September.
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be in front of American fans in our nation’s capital at the Citi Open,” Gauff said in a press release. “The last few weeks have been amazing and I’m excited about coming to Washington, D.C. to connect with all the fans, especially the young kids, who have been giving me so much support this summer. Hopefully I will also have the opportunity to keep this momentum going on the court starting at the Citi Open straight through the US Open.”
According to the release, Gauff will have to use her pre-Wimbledon world ranking, No. 313, in entering the qualifying draw. She is now ranked No. 141.
“Coco’s story is a perfect fit with the history and mission of our tournament and, as potentially the next great American star, she also embodies our future and our reimagination of this storied tennis event,” Mark Ein, the new manager of the Citi Open, said in a press release.
As part of the arrangement, Gauff is also set to host “Citi Open Kids’ Day” on July 28.
The Citi Open field also includes Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys on the women’s side, and local favorite Frances Tiafoe, John Isner, Nick Kyrgios and world No. 6 Stefanos Tsitsipas on the men’s side.
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
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