A pair of former champions are looking to catch fire on the U.S. hardcourts.
A pair of past champions and former multiple Grand Slam winners have taken wild cards into the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati.
The tournament announced on Thursday that two-time champion Andy Murray and 2013 champion Victoria Azarenka will be joining the 56-player singles field in their respective draws.
Welcome back to Cincinnati, champs! 🏆
2013 winner Victoria Azarenka and two-time champion Andy Murray awarded wild cards into 2018 #CincyTennis: https://t.co/BtToPamtY7 pic.twitter.com/X6OdtsTr6C
— Western & Southern Open (@CincyTennis) July 26, 2018
“The resumés for Vika and Andy really speak for themselves,” said Tournament Director Andre Silva. “I think many tennis fans are eager to see each of them back on the court, and we are pleased to offer them both wild cards to play the Western & Southern Open.”
Azarenka won the 2013 edition of the Western and Southern Open, defeating Serena Williams in a dramatic third-set tiebreaker. She will play Cincinnati for the first time since giving birth to her son Leo in December of 2016. Murray is the 2008 and 2011 champion at Cincinnati and he holds a 31-10 lifetime record on the fast hardcourts at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.
Three more men and four more women will receive wild cards into the singles draws at Cincinnati before the tournament’s main draw play commences on August 12.
