Citi Open: Bianca Andreescu, Sofia Kenin, Danielle Collins receive wild cards

Washington [US], July 27 (ANI): Former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin and former Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins will compete alongside four current top 10 players — Jessica Pegula, Caroline Garcia, Coco Gauff and Maria Sakkari after receiving wild cards for next week’s WTA 500 tournament Citi Open.

Three former top 10 players will join the field at next week’s Citi Open after receiving wild cards, beginning on July 31. Elina Svitolina, who returned from maternity leave in April and has rocketed to No.27 after a quarterfinal run at Roland Garros and a semifinal showing at Wimbledon, had already been announced as a wild card.

No.44-ranked Andreescu will be returning to the site of some early milestones. Back in 2017, as a 17-year-old wild card contesting her second tour-level main draw, she scored a maiden Top 20 win over Kristina Mladenovic to reach her first WTA quarterfinal here.

Kenin, who returned to the Top 100 after defeating Gauff in the third round of Wimbledon, will be making her third appearance in Washington D.C. The 24-year-old’s greatest performance came in the second round in 2019. Collins will be playing in her first competition.

Andreescu and Kenin join two-time Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka in the field of three Grand Slam champions.

Andreescu and Sloane Stephens have also accepted wild cards to play the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati later this summer. Cincinnati begins on August 12.