Citi Open Sets Attendance, Merch Records During Qualifying

The ATP/WTA Citi Open enjoyed a record weekend of tournament qualifying, with merchandise sales up 54% and attendance up 23%. A tournament spokesperson  said there was no question the event benefited from the presence of 15-year-old phenom Coco Gauff, who successfully qualified for the event. Gauff is scheduled to play this afternoon in a first-round match against Zarina Diyas.

The DC-based Citi Open is under the new operational management of Mark Ein, and food and beverage options were among the immediate improvements he made to the event. The spokesperson added that the new Market Square indoor food court tent has been a big hit, not least because it is air conditioned. "We couldn't have imagined a better start," Ein said. The tournament, which got underway in earnest yesterday, has been spared by rain so far, with just 20 minutes of precipitation yesterday. Last year’s event endured nine straight days of wet weather, wreaking havoc on scheduling.