Citi Open 2023: Women's singles draw, schedule, players, prize money breakdown & more
The women's tournament at the Citi Open 2023 will see some big names compete. The event has been upgraded from WTA 250 to WTA 500 and is set to feature some exciting tennis action in Washington.
Liudmila Samsonova won the last year's edition by beating Kaia Kanepi in the final and could have a challenging title defense this year, given the presence of players like Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, Belinda Bencic, Maria Sakkari, and Daria Kasatkina.
On that note, here is everything you need to know about the WTA 500 event.
What is the Citi Open?
The Citi Open is a hardcourt tournament that takes place in Washington DC. The inaugural edition of the women's singles event took place in 2011, with Nadia Petrova winning it by beating Shahar Pe'er 7-5, 6-2 in the final. Svetlana Kuznetsova and Magdalena Rybarikova have both won the competition twice.
Venue
The William H.G. Fitzgerald Tennis Center in Washington DC, USA, is the venue for the WTA 500 tournament.
Players
Jessica Pegula is the top seed at the WTA 500 tournament and is a strong favorite to win, as is third seed Coco Gauff. Second seed Caroline Garcia may not be at her best but is always capable of launching a title charge on her day.
The likes of Maria Sakkari, Belinda Bencic, and Daria Kasatkina are all among the title contenders and can be expected to have good runs in Washington DC. Madison Keys and reigning champion Liudmila Samsonova complete the list of seeded players and are both capable of doing well at the Citi Open.
Schedule
The main draw of the tournament will start on Monday, July 31, with the first round. The quarterfinals are scheduled to take place on August 4, while the semifinals will be played on August 5. The women's singles final is set to take place on August 6.
Prize Money
The total prize pool for the women's tournament at the Citi Open is $780,637 and the women's singles champion will earn $120,150 and 470 ranking points. Here is the full prize money and ranking points breakdown for the WTA 500 tournament.
Where to Watch
Viewers in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada can watch the WTA 500 tournament live on the following channels and sites:
USA: All matches will be broadcast on Tennis Channel.
UK: Fans in the UK can watch the proceedings live on Amazon Prime Video.
Australia: All matches will be telecast on beIN Sports.
Canada: Viewers in Canada can watch all the matches on TSN.