Scouting Report: Fan favorites Rublev, Shelton, Tiafoe headline Washington field | ATP Tour

Inspection Report

Scouting Report: Fan favorites Rublev, Shelton, Tiafoe headline Washington field

The ultimate summary of what every fan should know about the upcoming week

July 27, 2024

The hard courts of the Mubadala Citi DC Open will host the only ATP Tour event of the week in Washington. The ATP 500 field includes top seed Andrey Rublev and a host of American stars, led by Ben Shelton and local hero Frances Tiafoe.

ATPtour.com breaks down five key storylines in the American event.

FIVE THINGS TO SEE IN WASHINGTON
1) Rublev On A Roll?: After breaking a four-match losing streak in Umag, Rublev put together a strong week to reach the semi-finals of the European Championship. It will be a quick turnaround on the tough American courts, but Rublev will be brimming with confidence after finding his way back into the win column.

2) Shelton Leads America’s Payout: The popular 21-year-old will be the top-ranked American in Washington. Having risen to US No. 1 after her Houston title in April, Shelton is now the US No. 3 and World No. 3. After losing in the first round to #NextGenATP Chinese star Shang Juncheng last year in Washington, he will be looking for his first win at the event. (Shang also beat Shelton last week in Atlanta.)

3) Waiting for the Home Champion: It has been 17 years since an American lifted the Washington title, Andy Roddick defeating John Isner in the 2007 final. But a number of early contenders could take this round, including Sebastian Korda, Frances Tiafoe, Alex Michelsen and Reilly Opelka. Tiafoe is a fan favorite around the world, but especially in DC, as a native of Hyattsville, Maryland.

4) Khachanov, Mannarino Search for Changes: In No. 22 and No. 32 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Karen Khachanov and Adrian Mannarino have both struggled to find their best tennis in recent months. Khachanov won the Doha title in February, his sixth tour-level crown, but has not recorded more victories at the same event since Rome. Mannarino is 8-18 this season and enters Atlanta on a six-game losing streak. Both players will be invested in Washington, giving hope that they can live up to that payout and break out of their slump.

5) Heliovaara/Patten Lead Double Draw: Finland’s Harri Heliovaara and Great Britain’s Henry Patten are among the top two contenders in Washington, along with Aussies Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson, and Jamie Murray and Michael Venus. Heliovaara and Patten face tough opening matches against Shelton and Croatia’s Ivan Dodig, who is No. 20 in the PIF ATP Doubles Rankings.