The top two American tennis players in the world are coming to D.C. at the end of the month.
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Ben Shelton, No. 5 on the men’s tour, and Jessica Pegula, No. 4 on the women’s tour, have committed to the DC Open, which begins July 27 at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Rock Creek Park.
Both players have previously participated in the tournament, which is the only joint WTA-ATP 500-level event on the tennis calendar. Shelton lost in the semifinals of last year’s DC Open, while Pegula lost in the round of 16 in a three-set match against eventual champion Leylah Fernandez.
“We are thrilled to welcome back the top ranked male and female American players, Ben and Jess, to our already exceptional player field,” Mark Ein, the tournament chairman, said in a statement. “They are two of the biggest stars in tennis and players that our fans in D.C. love to watch and support. Together with Venus [Williams], Stefanos [Tsitsipas], Jack [Draper] and Kei [Nishikori], this year’s wild card field is incredible.”
Pegula won the first of her 11 WTA singles title in Washington in 2019. She made it to the finals of the U.S. Open in 2024 and was a quarterfinalist at Wimbledon this year.
Pegula is among six of this year’s Wimbledon quarterfinalists — joined by Felix Auger-Aliassime, Naomi Osaka, Marta Kostyuk, Jasmine Paolini and Taylor Fritz — who have committed to the DC Open.
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“DC has always been one of my favorite stops on tour. Winning my first WTA title there makes it a place I’ll always look forward to coming back to,” Pegula said. “The fans are great, I love the city, and it’s a tournament where I’ve played some of my best tennis.”
Shelton bowed out early in London, falling in the first round to unseeded Otto Virtanen, but he has historically played his best tennis on the hard-court surface he will see in Washington. In 2023, Shelton played a thrilling match against Maryland native Frances Tiafoe at the U.S. Open that made him an instant sensation in the tennis world.
He and Tiafoe, who is also set to play at Rock Creek Park, could meet for a rematch in a few weeks.
“I always enjoy coming back to DC. The fans bring a ton of energy, and it’s a place where I’ve played some really good tennis the last couple of years,” Shelton said. “It’s an awesome atmosphere, especially playing under the lights, and I’m excited to get back out there and see if I can make another deep run.”
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