Seein’ the DMV: Mubadala Citi DC Open-July 2025

Monday-Day One

I was watching the Wimbledon Open when I realized that I had never seen a live professional tennis match. I’ve enjoyed watching tennis on television since I was introduced to the game in public school and became aware of Arthur Ashe in the early 1970s. Impulsively, I started researching the costs and process of making a one-day trip to New York to see an early round of the US Open. Just as I was forced to acknowledge that my budget required more prep time to handle such an excursion, I learned that there was a tennis tournament–the Mubadala Citi DC Open–scheduled in Washington the next week!! A check of the ticket prices for an early round session indicated that I could make it work. I ordered one of the ADA tickets on the first level of the stadium.

On that Monday, I tried to time my drive to Rock Creek Tennis Center to minimize how long I would be in rush hour traffic, yet get me there in time to get good parking and make the first match at 11 a.m.. I entered the facilities’ security with only a clear bag filled with munchies–no drinks because I guessed that buying ice cold ones at the center would be worth the cost. Upon finding my location in the Stadium, I looked around the mostly empty site to take in the display of past winners–almost all of whom I recognized from watching them play over the past decades. It was interesting to see the interplay between the players and the officials and ball boys and girls who made the matches flows almost seamlessly and to see how many of the players were left-handed. Even the changing of the court nets when transitioning between women and men matches caught my attention. I was grateful for the company that handed out samples of sunscreen because there was no shade and only limited moments of cloud cover to provide some relief. (There are pictures where my Southern suntan has finally returned after years living in Iowa.)

I watched three Round of 32 (women) and a men’s Round of 64 matches in the Stadium between players I didn’t know (Canadian Leylah Fernandez def. American playing for Australia Maya Joint, Maria Sakkari of Greece def. Brit Katie Buolter, Canadian Victoria Mboko def. [Russian] Anastasia Potapova and American Reilly Okelka def. Murphy Cassone of the U.S.). I learned a lot about negotiating the day’s activities.

While still sitting in the Stadium, I was drawn to the boisterous noise coming from the court next door. Eventually, I walked over to the James Harris court and learned that folks moved between the several courts of the tennis center depending on what players in competition or practice they wanted to see and that I had just missed American Venus Williams playing doubles with fellow American Hailey Baptiste, defeating Canadian Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngouvoue, the reason for all the noise. I did see the final set of the match between South African Cameron Norrie and Lorenzo Musetti and Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan defeat American Jenson Brooksby. However, I missed American Learner Tien, a young man who impressed me during his play at the Australian Open, win against fellow American Emilio Nava.

I made it back to Stadium Court in time for the day’s main event, a doubles match between Australians Matthew Ebden and John Peers and Americans Ben Shelton and Washington-area native Frances Tiafoe. The crowd, now packing the Stadium, overwhelmingly supported the Americans–especially Tiafoe in his Washington Commanders’ red and yellow–but it didn’t take long to see that they were playing a more experienced doubles pair. They were beaten pretty soundly, ending the evening on a down note.

Below are some of the pictures from Day one of tennis action:

All of the photos from Days one and two are available at https://singin1.pics/piwigo/index.php?/category/Seein-the-DMV-DC-Open-Rock-Creek-Tennis-Center-July-2025

Tuesday-Day Two

I had not planned to go back for a second day, but when I saw that France’s Gael Monfils, Shelton, Naomi Osaka, and Williams were all scheduled to play, I had to secure a ticket to see them.

Again on Tuesday, I got very close parking for SB and made my way to the Stadium. There, I witnessed Sofia Kenin‘s victory over Baptiste, Britain’s Emma Raducanu def. Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine. Then, I truly needed a break after hours under the fierce heat, so I found some shade in the promenade outside the Stadium and visited the gift shop where I bought a mid-sized large tennis ball for my souvenir collection, plus got pictures standing beside a pair of really big balls and an extra large racket.

In James Harris, I caught the early match between Monfils and Yibing Wu of China. Very early into the match, Monfils crashed into the boundary wall of the court, leading to an injury timeout. He eventually continued the contest, but I suspect that the fall created a situation he could not overcome. He fought valiantly but lost in straight sets. Also, Osaka won her match against Russia’s Yulia Putintseva, and American Taylor Townsend defeated German Tatjana Maria, I’ve posted very short clips of Osaka and Shelton playing their match points.

I spent the rest of the evening back in the Stadium court with the fans who now filled it for the match between Shelton and American Mackenzie McDonald, who lost in straight sets. The evening’s draw, however, was the singles return of Williams. She had received a wild card for the tournament after more than a year away from the game. Her play brought back memories of her skills in the past, and she thrilled the cheering crowd. At the end of the match, Williams was ready to serve when two men behind me started this loud conversation that carried all the way down to the court, clearly breaking Williams’ concentration. Talk about two guys getting booed!! Once quiet was restored, Williams missed the serve but had another opportunity, which she used to win the set.

The pictures I captured from the day are below:

And another panoramic shot during the Williams match:

I didn’t return for the rest of the tournament due to cost and the recognition that I would be pressing my luck physically, especially with the heat alert that had been announced for Friday (as I’m posting this, the weather has caused cramps for several players). However, I am watching the matches on the television and feel like I have an even greater appreciation for them and the players.

The DC Open is a WTA500 and an ATP500 tournament, so I wasn’t surprised that neither of the top two women or men players were there this year. Perhaps I will catch them at the U.S. Open next year or in the future, for it is now on my bucket list.

Update 072725: By this point in the tournament, the last American players, Shelton and men’s top seed Taylor Fritz, have been eliminated. Fernandez, however, won the women’s single championship over Anna Kalinskaya of Russia 6-1, 6-2. I might not have heard of her, but I will be keeping an eye out for her.

As always, I thank the Lord for granting me the stamina to make the trip, the damn good reflexes to steer the Silver Bullet (SB) as she needed to be guided, and the ability to enjoy His handiwork as it whizzes by my windshield.

Waze took me on different routes each day, I suspect to minimize the amount of time I spent in rush hour traffic. I really appreciate the amount of free, accessible parking the tennis center offered close to the entrance.