| Western & Southern Open – CINCINNATI, Ohio (Aug. 3, 2021) – Three-time Major champion Andy Murray and 21-year-old American Sebastian Korda have been awarded wild cards for the men’s singles field for the 2021 Western & Southern Open. Murray, a two-time winner in Cincinnati, is one of seven former Western & Southern Open champions to join the initial entry list. Korda, who claimed his first title on the ATP tour earlier this season, is the son of two-time Western & Southern Open quarterfinalist Petr Korda. A former No. 1 player in singles, the 34-year-old Murray has captured 46 career titles, currently 14th in the Open Era. His 680 wins are good for 10th on the Open Era’s all-time wins list and has won three Major titles (Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016 along with the US Open in 2012) in addition to reaching 11 Major finals. Murray, a 14-time participant in the Western & Southern Open, claimed the singles title in 2008 and 2011 in Cincinnati. He is only one of three players in tournament history to win a gold medal and appear in a Western & Southern Open final in the same year, becoming a finalist in Cincinnati in 2016 just a week after claiming Gold in Rio de Janeiro. Murray underwent a hip resurfacing operation in January 2019, and played his first singles match following the procedure later that year at the Western & Southern Open. Korda reached his first career ATP final to open the 2021 season at Delray Beach, and also advanced to the Round of 16 at two of the last four Majors. After making his Masters 1000 debut at the 2020 Western & Southern Open, Korda finished as a quarterfinalist at the 2021 Miami Masters 1000 event. Turning pro in 2018, Korda reached a career-high ranking of 45 in the latest ATP rankings after starting the season ranked No. 118. Korda is the second 21-year-old in the last three Western & Southern Opens to earn a wild card entry, where Reilly Opelka earned his way into the field as a wild card in 2019. The Western & Southern Open will be held Aug. 14-22, with first serve will take place at 10 a.m. on Aug. 14 for the qualifying tournament. The men’s and women’s singles finals will take place on Sunday, Aug. 22. The schedule is available here. The Western & Southern Open, an ATP Masters 1000 and a WTA 1000, is part of the US Open Series and is held at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio. |
