ANDY MURRAY RETURNS TO DC AND JOINS ATP DREAM TEAMS
Andy Murray’s comeback continues in Washington D.C., teaming up with brother Jamie Murray in doubles for first time since 2016
2019 doubles field includes every member of the ATP Top 10 doubles rankings
Fan favorites Tsitsipas and Kyrgios join forces for first time as scheduled Monday night headliners, Sock and Paes team also up for first time
WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 24, 2019) – Andy Murray is returning to the Citi Open.
The former world No. 1 in singles is teaming with his brother Jamie, a former world No. 1 in doubles and the 2018 Citi Open Doubles Champion, for the first time since 2016, to join a doubles field that includes all 10 of the ATP World Tour’s Top 10 doubles players. Eight of the 10 pairs entered have at least one Grand Slam men’s doubles championship.
“I’m obviously very excited to be on the court with him (Jamie) and also to go back to Washington,” said Andy Murray. “It’s a city I’ve always enjoyed visiting so it should be fun. I’m hoping to have a good summer over in the States, keep progressing physically and hopefully get back on the singles court soon.”
The field of headliners also includes the first-time duo of Stefanos Tsitsipas, world No. 6 in singles, and Australian Nick Kyrgios. The Tsitsipas-Kyrgios pairing will showcase two of the sports’ biggest personalities, who have never faced off in singles, teaming up for the first time as a doubles tandem. The duo is scheduled to play in Monday’s evening session, pending Friday evening’s doubles draw.
“We set out to make doubles a highlight of the Citi Open and the entry list has exceeded even our highest expectations,” said Mark Ein, Chairman of MDE Tennis who took over management rights for the tournament earlier this year. “With virtually all of the best players in the world and some incredibly intriguing pairings, we think doubles will be one of the most compelling, entertaining and popular parts of the 2019 Citi Open for our fans.”
The Citi Open, set for July 27-August 4, at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center, is one of the few occasions that the Murray brothers have teamed up outside of international competitions such as the Olympics or the Davis Cup.
But with Andy Murray primarily playing doubles this year as he continues his comeback from hip surgery, the Citi Open presents a rare opportunity for the Murray brothers to partner in an ATP event. Jamie is ranked No. 8 in doubles and is a six-time Grand Slam champion in doubles competition.
Jamie, 15 months Andy’s senior, won the Citi Open doubles crown last summer with then-partner Bruno Soares of Brazil. Soares is back this year as well with partner Mate Pavic of Croatia.
Fresh off their doubles championship at Wimbledon, the No. 1 tandem of Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah will be the top seeds in D.C. The duo made history earlier this month as the first Colombians to win a Grand Slam men’s doubles title, an epic five-set, nearly five-hour victory over Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin. Frenchman Mahut, who completed a career Grand Slam in doubles at the 2019 Australian Open, and countryman Roger-Vasselin, a former French Open doubles champion, are playing together again at the Citi Open.
The doubles field also includes the greatest doubles team of all-time in Bob and Mike Bryan. The Bryan brothers made their D.C. debut in 1997 and have won the Citi Open four times as a team. Mike Bryan is currently ranked No. 3 in doubles. The Bryans have already won two titles this year, the ATP Masters 1000 Miami and Delray Beach.
Other top 10 doubles players committed to the Citi Open include 2019 French Open champions Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies, both of Germany; South African Raven Klaasen who is partnering with Michael Venus of New Zealand; Lukasz Kubot of Poland and Brazilian Marcelo Melo; and Nikola Metkic of Croatia who is playing alongside compatriot Franko Skugor.
Doubles great Leander Paes, who has completed a career Grand Slam in both men’s and mixed doubles, will form another fascinating team with two-time Olympic medalist Jack Sock in a wild card pairing. Paes, at age 46, is a former world No. 1 in doubles and has captured 54 ATP doubles titles in his 28 years on tour. In 2018, Sock, who is 20 years younger than Paes, won two of the four Grand Slam doubles titles, pairing with Mike Bryan to capture Wimbledon and US Open championships.
The 2019 Citi Open which showcases some of the top names on both the ATP and WTA Tours, begins on Saturday, July 27, with ATP and WTA qualifying rounds. Main Draw action starts on July 29.
The longtime beneficiary of Citi Open is the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation, a non-profit which provides free tennis and educational programs for children in underserved communities. The tournament is one of WTEF’s biggest annual fundraisers and has raised millions for youth programs in the Washington D.C. area.
