Rafael Nadal, 20-Time Grand Slam Champion, To Play At Citi Open

WASHINGTON, DC — Rafael Nadal, a 20-time Grand Slam champion, will play in Washington, D.C. for the first time later this month when the Citi Open begins on July 31, the tournament announced Thursday.

Nadal will join other players like Nick Kyrgios, Denis Shapovalov and Frances Tiafoe at the event, which was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The tournament will also welcome U.S. Olympic Team members Coco Gauff, Jen Brady and Jess Pegula to the inaugural Citi Open Women’s Invitational.

The 2021 Citi Open will be held from July 31 to Aug. 8 at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center. Limited numbers of tickets are available due to the tennis center's 50-percent capacity for the Citi Open.

Currently ranked No. 3 in the world behind Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev, Nadal has won 13 French Open singles titles and his run of 81 consecutive victories on clay is the longest single-surface winning streak in the Open Era.

“I am very excited to come to Washington for the first time,” Nadal said in a statement Thursday. “I have never been there, and it’s one more place I wanted to come and play. I am looking forward to playing again, and Washington shall be the best start for the US Summer swing for me."

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The Spaniard has held the world No. 1 ranking for 209 weeks, finishing year-end No. 1 five times, and has won 88 ATP singles titles. His 20 Grand Slam titles tie him for the all-time record with Roger Federer.

“We are thrilled to welcome Rafael Nadal, who is not just one of the greatest tennis players of all-time, but also a global sporting icon and inspiring role model to our Washington community this summer,” Citi Open Chairman and CEO of MDE Tennis Mark Ein said. “I can’t imagine a better way to celebrate the joyous return of the things we cherish like live sports, coming together as a community and our historic event than having Rafa and the rest of our very deep and exciting player field competing for the Citi Open title.”

At this year’s U.S. Open in New York, Djokovic will be attempting to tie Nadal and Federer with the most Grand Slam titles.

Past Citi Open champions include Jimmy Connors, Andre Agassi, Sloane Stephens, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Andy Roddick and Juan Martín del Potro.

Full-tournament and single-session tickets are on sale now, but due to limited 50-percent fan capacity at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center, tickets are already 85 percent sold out. Remaining tournament packages, sponsorship opportunities and single-session tickets are available at Etix.com/Citi Open Tennis Tournament or by contacting Citi Open at 202-721-9500 or tickets@MDEtennis.com.