Perched amid Federalist-style elegance at our Autograph Collection hotel in Old Town Alexandria, you’ve got fine access to one of the signature stops on the professional tennis circuit’s North American summer hard-court swing.
We’re talking about the Citi Open at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Washington, D.C.’s Rock Creek Park—less than 15 miles from Morrison House, and an amazing venue at which to see some of the best players in the world on both the men’s (Association of Tennis Professionals) and women’s (Women’s Tennis Association) sides go at it in some best-of-three magic.
The Citi Open
Begun as a men’s tournament in 1969 and joining forces with the WTA for a combined event in 2012, the Citi Open takes place in late July and early August: a stretch of the rather relentless tennis calendar fresh on the grassy heels of Wimbledon and packed with hard-court events leading up to the ultimate Grand Slam of the season: the U.S. Open in New York City.
Switching from grass court to hard court is never easy—same goes for switching from the clay courts of spring (including that of the French Open) to summer grass. Tournaments such as the Citi Open, besides bringing their own prestige and points, help players adjust to the special demands and conditions of hard courts as the US Open nears.
Technically speaking the Citi Open falls on the ATP World Tour 500 and the WTA International series. The legendary Andre Agassi holds the ATP record for Citi Open titles with five; Magdaléna Rybáriková of Slovakia has won the much younger WTA version twice.
The 2018 Tournament
In this year’s just-concluded Citi Open, veteran WTA player Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia beat up-and-comer Donna Vekic of Croatia in a three-setter of a final. On the men’s side, the meteorically rising “young gun” Alexander Zverev of Germany successfully defended his 2017 title in a 6-2, 6-4 win over teenage phenom Alex de Minaur of Australia. In doubles, Han Xinyun and Darija Jurak won the women’s title and Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares the men’s.
Catch Citi Open Tennis on a Morrison House Stay in Old Town Alexandria
Having the high-profile events of Washington, D.C. at your beck and call is one of the many pleasures of visiting Alexandria, Virginia, and the City Open tennis tournament is certainly among them. Take in some athletic competition of fierce intensity next summer with an Autograph Collection getaway to Morrison House!