News & Politics

Rafael Nadal Will Compete at the Citi Open Tennis Tournament in DC

The tennis player is ending his brief hiatus on the Rock Creek Tennis Center court.

International tennis star Rafael Nadal will serve and lob on the hard courts of the Citi Open tournament at Rock Creek Tennis Center this summer. The 20-time grand slam champion—heralded as one of the best male tennis players in the world—will make his Washington debut at the series, which runs from July 31 to August 8.

Nadal has been absent from the court since losing to Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals of the French Open in June. Opting out of Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics, the Spanish athlete has elected to make his return in Northwest DC. Competition will be stiff for the Spanish athlete—after all, the Citi Open is a precursor to the prestigious US Open. Nadal’s potential opponents will include former Citi Open champs Nick Kyrgios and Kei Nishikori, as well as Hyattsville native Frances Tiafoe.

Last year’s Citi Open was postponed due to the pandemic, and this year, seating will remain at 50 percent capacity during the tournament. Tickets for the professional tennis event are currently on sale, and there is a waitlist available if seating limits increase.

Daniella Byck
Lifestyle Editor

Daniella Byck joined Washingtonian in 2022. She was previously with Outside Magazine and lives in Northeast DC.