TV GUIDE: How to watch DC Open Washington featuring Sabalenka, Raducanu, Jabeur, Shelton and Tiafoe

The North American hardcourt swing begins on the road to the US Open with several top stars of the Tour at the DC Open. The tournament is an ATP 500 and WTA 250 event held at the William Fitzgerald Tennis Center in Washington, running from July 29 to August 4.

While the Olympic Games are taking place on the clay courts of Roland Garros, several men and women decided not to participate in Paris 2024 to avoid excessive surface changes, due to injuries, or to expedite preparation for the US Open Series. Notable players include Aryna Sabalenka, Ons Jabeur, Emma Raducanu, Frances Tiafoe, Ben Shelton, and Andrey Rublev.

Russian Andrey Rublev is the top seed, being the only top-10 player present in Washington. However, the Russian is currently experiencing an inconsistent phase, following his first-round exit at Wimbledon and a disappointing third-round finish at the French Open a month earlier.

Americans Ben Shelton (No. 14), Sebastian Korda (No. 22), and Frances Tiafoe (No. 29) are among the players who chose not to travel to Paris, opting to quickly start the hardcourt swing instead. Other notable participants include Karen Khachanov (No. 21) and Adrian Mannarino (No. 32).

The tournament also awarded wildcards to notable players, including Canadian Denis Shapovalov and locals J.J. Wolf and Reilly Opelka, who will be playing only his third tournament following strong performances at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships and the Atlanta Open.

On the women’s side, the top seed is world No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka, who is recovering from a shoulder injury that kept her out of Wimbledon earlier this month. The Belarusian aims to regain her ranking position and is the top favorite as the only top-10 player in the draw.

However, it remains to be seen how she will fare in a draw filled with high-level players, making it one of the most attractive WTA 250 events in terms of names this season. Russian players Daria Kasatkina (No. 12) and Ludmila Samsonova (No. 14), along with Ons Jabeur (No. 16), complete the top four seeds, all of whom will receive a bye in the first round, delaying their debut for a few more days.

Several Grand Slam champions will also be in the draw. Victoria Azarenka (No. 20), Sloane Stephens (No. 45), and Sofia Kenin (No. 54) are among the key names, along with prestigious wildcards granted to Emma Raducanu (No. 89) and Paula Badosa (No. 62). The Spaniard will face a tough first-round match against American Kenin.