Naomi Osaka and Venus Williams Enter DC Open as Wildcards

Originally posted on Serve on SI | By Pat Benson | Last updated Jul 17, 2025 10:17 AM ET

While there is usually a lull after the conclusion of the grass court season, tennis fans have plenty of reasons to be excited for the sport transitioning back to hard surfaces.

Next week, the WTA and ATP will begin their North American swing of the hard-court season. The hot stretch of the schedule will start at the highly anticipated Mubadala Citi DC Open (a 500-level event for both leagues).

The DC Open draw will be stacked, including wildcard entries from multi-time Grand Slam champions. Headlining the wildcards are Naomi Osaka and Venus Williams. Danielle Collins and Hailey Baptiste join them.

A legend returns ✨ @Venuseswilliams will make her first appearance in DC since 2022!#MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/lLa6LCnG7B
— Mubadala Citi DC Open (@mubadalacitidc) July 11, 2025

Tournament organizers announced Osaka and Williams as wildcard entries last week, but most fans missed the exciting news due to the action unfolding at Wimbledon.

Of course, Osaka is still trying to regain her form after missing time due to injuries and maternity leave. The four-time Grand Slam champion is currently the World No. 49 with a record of 20-10.

Meanwhile, Williams continues to defy Father Time and false reports of her retirement from the sport. The 45-year-old has won seven Grand Slam singles titles and is widely considered one of the most influential athletes in tennis history.

Star power: Off the charts

Three US Open champions & two former World No. 1's return to DC as @DaniilMedwed, @naomiosaka & @EmmaRaducanu add their names to this year's event!#MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/DrTb2DdGxB
— Mubadala Citi DC Open (@mubadalacitidc) June 18, 2025

In February, Indian Wells announced that Williams had accepted a wildcard to play at the Masters-level event. However, Williams denied the announcement four days later. The DC Open will mark Williams' first match since the 2024 Miami Open.

The women's DC Open was established in 2011 and became a WTA 500 event in 2023. With 500 rankings points on the line, 32 singles players and 16 doubles teams will compete at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center.

The DC Open runs from July 21 to July 27, 2025. Paula Badosa won the tournament last year.

This article first appeared on Serve on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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