The 15-year-old who took the tennis world by storm during Wimbledon is back.
Cori “Coco” Gauff announced she will play in the Citi Open qualifiers, according to Fox 5 DC’s Angie Goff.
She was the last player accepted into the tournament. Gauff had to wait for a spot because of Women’s Tennis Association rules that restrict 15-year-old athletes to just three wild-card tournament entries, according to the Washington Post.
Gauff’s ranking jumped from No. 313 before Wimbledon to No. 143. In that tournament, she took down Venus Williams in the first round and advanced to fourth round before falling.
Her opening match at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m.
The qualifiers take place over the weekend with the main draw beginning Monday.
Reigning champion Svetlana Kuznetsova will not be able to defend her title because she had issues obtaining a U.S. Visa, she tweeted.
The tournament had planned to give Kuznetsova a wild card entry into the main draw, according to the Washington Post.
WTA draw for @CitiOpen. Sloane Stephens is the No. 1 seed, Madison Keys No. 2. pic.twitter.com/7WLneCBpoK
— Ava Wallace (@avarwallace) July 26, 2019
The Citi Open will take place from Monday through Sunday, Aug. 4 at William H. G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Washington, D.C.
Sloane Stephens, ranked No. 8 in the world, is the highest-ranked player who will compete in the tournament. She is the one seed.
There’s some outside excitement to the tournament beyond tennis. The way DCist describes it, concession stands are out-of-this-world, including celebrity chef Jose Andres’ critically-acclaimed food truck, Pepe.
