‘Mubadala Citi DC Open’ Becomes Only Combined ATP-WTA 500-Level Tourney
June 5, 2023
WASHINGTON, June 1, 2023 — MDE Tennis and IMG announced that the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. is combining with the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic to become the Mubadala Citi DC Open beginning in 2023. The move from San Jose elevates the DC women’s event from a WTA 250 level to a WTA 500 level, making the Mubadala Citi DC Open the only combined ATP-WTA 500 tournament in the world on the tour calendar. The move is subject to ATP Board approval.
The Mubadala Citi DC Open is the fifth largest pro tennis event in the United States and will take place July 29 – August 6, 2023, at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Rock Creek Park in the nation’s capital. The tournament was founded in 1969 to support Arthur Ashe’s vision of playing professional tennis in a public park, making tennis accessible to everyone. Since MDE Tennis took over management of the tournament in 2019 the event’s popularity has exploded, with record attendance of over 80,000 and total sell-outs of every session for the last two years.
The Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic was founded 52 years ago by Billie Jean King as the first event of the 1971 professional women’s tour that has now become the WTA. The tournament will make history once again when it moves to the nation’s capital in August. The tournament will remain a 28-player field and presents a rare opportunity for a combined 500-level event the same week, allowing WTA players to compete in front of a larger audience with a more convenient tour schedule in proximity to the next major WTA events and then the U.S. Open in New York City later that month. Tennis fans, meanwhile, will be able to enjoy the highest levels of men’s and women’s professional tennis during the same week.
Mark Ein, the Chairman of MDE Sports and the Citi Open, met recently with Brian Lott, Chief Communications Officer for Mubadala Investment Company, and Edward Skyler, Executive Vice President, Citi, to launch the new co-title partnership and tournament.
“Since we took over the Citi Open in 2019, one of our top goals was to secure the long-term rights to host an equal level WTA 500 event in combination with our historic ATP 500 event that is beloved by our community and that has been a highlight of summers in Washington for 53 years. We are thrilled to now make that a reality and are deeply grateful to Mubadala, Citi and IMG for this unique and impactful partnership,” said Mark Ein, Mubadala Citi DC Open’s Chairman. “Being able to showcase men and women at the same highest-level events is one of the things that makes tennis so special, and this move solidifies the Mubadala Citi DC Open as one of the premiere professional tennis tournaments in the world.”
“We’d like to thank the Bay area for over 50 years of support, enthusiasm and passion. We’ve loved bringing the best in women’s tennis to your doorstep year after year,” stated Josh Ripple, SVP of Tennis Events at IMG, the owner and operator of the WTA 500 event. “While we’re sad to go, we are also very excited about this new chapter in the event’s history as the only 500-level combined event on the tours in the U.S. We hope that by bringing this event to D.C. we can start new traditions and bring that same passion for women’s tennis we saw in San Jose to the capital.”
Brian Lott, Chief Communications Office for Mubadala Investment Company said, “Our relationship with women’s professional tennis began in 2017, when we worked with the WTA to move this tournament from Stanford University to San Jose State University, attracting new fans in the Silicon Valley area and extending its timeline in Northern California by five years. We are excited to build on the heritage of these men’s and women’s tournaments to create something new and historic in Washington, D.C. This new format will serve both players and fans alike and will build on Mubadala’s strong support of professional tennis – women’s tennis in particular – worldwide. We also look forward to working with the local community to develop the next generation of tennis talent in the D.C. area.”
In addition to the new tournament in D.C., Mubadala also recently hosted the first-ever Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open WTA 500, and the company recently acquired the Rio Open ATP 500 tournament.
“Welcoming Mubadala on as a co-title partner is an incredible opportunity to elevate the event and will enable men’s and women’s tennis to share the stage by becoming the only combined ATP-WTA 500 tournament,” said Edward Skyler, Executive Vice President, Citi. “We have great respect for Mubadala and all they’ve done with the Silicon Valley Classic, and we look forward to bringing our shared passion for tennis to the D.C. community in an even more impactful way.”
“We are thrilled to host the Mubadala Citi DC Open in the Sports Capital. We are also excited to make DC’s biggest tennis event even bigger,” said DC Mayor Muriel Bowser. “For more than 50 years, the Citi Open has entertained and inspired Washingtonians from across all eight wards and tennis fans from around the world. And we look forward to many more years of world-class tennis in DC. We’ll see you this summer in Rock Creek Park.”
Steve Simon, WTA Chairman & CEO said: “The Bay Area has played host to so many unforgettable moments as one of the Hologic WTA Tour’s longest-running tournaments. The legacy of this much-loved event will live on in its new home, in Washington D.C., where I am excited to see WTA and ATP stars competing together for the first time at the 500 level, creating new memories for many more years to come.”
Season tickets for the 2023 Mubadala Citi DC Open are already on sale at www.mubadalacitidcopen.com or by calling 202-721-9500. More than half of the lower bowl is already sold and every session for the last two years has sold out with season ticket holders now comprising a large portion of the attendees. Individual seats will be available closer to the event.