Citi Open Adds Halep To Growing List of Grand Slam Champions

Citi Open (photo: Michael Dickens)

WASHINGTON, July 2, 2022 (by Michael Dickens)

Simona Halep is the latest Grand Slam champion to join the growing and richly-talented field of the Citi Open.

On Friday, the Citi Open announced that the two-time Grand Slam champion and former World No. 1 from Romania is joining fellow Grand Slam champions Emma Raducanu (2021 US Open), Victoria Azarenka (2012-13 Australian Open), Sloane Stephens (2017 US Open) and Sofia Kenin (2020 Australia Open) in the strongest women’s field in the tournament’s history.

The WTA 250 draw alone accounts for five Grand Slam titlists as well as two former World No. 1 players and two Citi Open champions.

Halep, who has advanced to the fourth round of the Wimbledon Championships for the fifth time after winning the 2019 title, has captured 23 career singles crowns. She also won the 2018 French Open title. This year marks Halep’s second visit to the Citi Open and first since 2017, where she reached the quarterfinal round.

This season, Halep has won one title, the Melbourne Summer Set 1, in January, and reached the semifinals in Dubai, Indian Wells and Birmingham. She was also a quarterfinalist in Madrid.

Other players committed to the WTA 250 hard-court event, which takes place from July 30 to August 7 at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center in northwest Washington, include: 2019 Citi Open champion Jessica Pegula, 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez and 2014 Wimbledon semifinalist and former World No. 5 Eugenie Bouchard.

Headlining the men’s ATP 500 event are 2019 champion Nick Kyrgios of Australia plus a trio of Top 30 Americans: No. 14 Taylor Fritz, No. 18 Reilly Opelka and No. 28 Frances Tiafoe.

Citi Open noteworthy

Single session tickets and full tournament packages are available. Call (202) 721-9500 or email tickets@mdetennis.com to order tickets or learn more about the 2022 tournament.