On its 50th anniversary, the future of Washington’s sole professional tennis tournament looked murkey. But Citi Open, now under the operational management of entrepreneur and tennis enthusiast Mark Ein, returned to the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center last Saturday with an updated audience experience (think air-conditioned tents and food from Jose Andres), plus heavy hitters in the sport, like 15-year-old sensation Coco Gauff.
What sets Citi Open apart from other pro tennis tournaments in the U.S.? Partly its history: The Washington-based tournament was the brainchild of Arthur Ashe, the first black man to win the U.S. Open. And partly its mission: The tournament’s owner and beneficiary is the nonprofit Washington Tennis & Education Foundation, which provides after-school, P.E. and education resources for underserved students in D.C.
We check in on this year’s tournament, its legacy and the Washington tennis scene.
Produced by Cydney Grannan
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