Citi DC Open 2025: Full Betting Preview, Odds & Players to Watch
Washington officially rolls out the red carpet for the summer hardcourt season as the Mubadala Citi DC Open is set to feature a mix of young up-and-comers and cagey veterans competing for the ultimate prize.
Former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev remains a top contender but will face stiff competition from Americans Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton while Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, and Naomi Osaka are poised to make deep runs in the women’s draw. With so much going on, let’s look at the players to watch in the competition and give you our expert predictions for this tournament.
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Players to Watch: Men’s Draw
It goes without saying that the men’s draw could be anybody’s ball game, especially with tennis prodigies Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz sitting out. Reigning champion Sebastian Korda is also absent in this tournament which leaves the field wide open for seasoned contenders and rising stars to make deep runs.
Ben Shelton
Fresh off a quarterfinal loss at Wimbledon to Sinner, world number eight Ben Shelton heads into this tournament with a chip on his shoulder as he looks to finally hoist up his first career title in Washington. The 22-year old Shelton came close to doing so last year after making it into the semifinals of the Citi DC Open. It can be recalled that Shelton won the first set in his semis match against Flavio Cobolli only to lose the next two and ultimately bow out the tournament. Shelton is seeded fourth this year and will face fellow American Mackenzie McDonald in the Round of 32 to begin his 2025 Mubadala Citi DC Open campaign.
Daniil Medvedev
Russian netter Daniil Medvedev might have been struggling lately but it doesn’t change the fact that he is one of the best hardcourt players of all time. The 29-year old Medvedev, after all, won his only Slam on hard courts after beating Novak Djokovic in straight sets at the 2021 US Open. Although past results don’t predict future outcomes, Medvedev’s strong serve and excellent court coverage is expected to give opponents some problems, making the Russian among the top contenders in this competition.
Francis Tiafoe
Like Shelton, Hyattsville native Francis Tiafoe hopes to right the wrong of last year as he returns to the Citi DC Open. Tiafoe suffered a straight set loss to Korda in the semifinal round of last year’s edition. So far this year, the 27-year old has been doing well in the Tour, making it into the final in Houston and reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open. That could carry over in this tournament especially since Tiafoe has been known to perform well on home soil as evident by his 2018 Delray Beach title win.
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Players to Watch: Women’s Draw
Spanish racquet-wielder Paula Badosa is the reigning women’s champion but like Sebastian Korda, the 28-year old is choosing to sit out for this tournament. While top contenders like Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula are expected to make their presence felt, there are a few things to look forward to in the distaff side.
Venus Williams
Multi-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams is looking to turn back the hands of time as she makes her return to the court after more than a year of absence. The 45-year old Williams earned a last-minute wild card entry in the singles draw. She will be facing Peyton Stearns in the Round of 32 where Williams is almost a 12-1 underdog at several tennis betting sites. Considering the fact that Stearns has lost four of her last five games, I am willing to go on a flyer and pick Williams to win a set in her opening round match.
Hailey Baptiste
American netter Hailey Baptiste didn’t make it past the first round of the 2024 Citi DC Open after suffering a straight set defeat to Victoria Azarenka. Coming off career-best performances at the French Open and Wimbledon, the 23-year old Baptiste is expected to give opponents some trouble, especially considering that her serve and baseline play have improved significantly as evident by her performance at Wimbledon. A tough competition awaits Baptiste in the first round as she squares up with former Australian Open champ Sofia Kenin.
Naomi Osaka
Since winning her first WTA title at L’Open 35 de Saint Malo last May, four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka has seemingly struggled in the last few months, failing to make it into the semis of six consecutive tournaments. The 27-year old Osaka looks to regain her form as she returns to the hardcourt at the Citi DC Open. Unlike others on this list, Osaka is actually an excellent hardcourt player, having won all of her slams on this surface. For Osaka to make a deep run here, though, she needs to impose her strong baseline play against opponents and continue to pressure them with her strong serve and powerful groundstrokes, which have been hit-or-miss in the tour this season.
Expert predictions for Mubadala Citi DC Open
Frankly speaking, this is arguably one of the hardest tournaments to predict right now. With reigning champions and several top players absent in the competition, you could very well be looking at a wide-open field where the potential for upsets is higher. So, before you check the best betting sites with bonuses, make sure to read some of my expert predictions for the Mubadala Citi DC Open to maximize value.
Taylor Fritz to win men’s title
As I’ve mentioned above, you could very well make a case for players like Daniil Medvedev, Ben Shelton, and even Andrey Rublev to win the 2025 Mubadala Citi DC Open. However, I am going out on a limb here and picking an in-form Taylor Fritz to get it done. The 27-year old Fritz just won the Lexus Eastbourne Open title after beating Jenson Brooksby in the final and gave Carlos Alcaraz some trouble in the Wimbledon semis. Fritz is also seeded first in the tournament and will face Aleksandar Vukic in the Round 32 where he is nearly a 6-1 favorite.
Elena Rybakina to win women’s title
Kazakh tennis ace Elena Rybakina is always a contender no matter which surface she is playing on and it doesn’t change here. With the absence of Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka, the 26-year old Rybakina should be the favorite to win it all here. One thing I love about Rybakina is her aggressive play that is built on her strong serve and powerful groundstrokes. Of course, you could always argue that Jessica Pegula and Naomi Osaka might spoil the party for Rybakina but I am confident that the Kazakh should pull through regardless of who she faces later on.
Conclusion – Our final take on the Citi DC Open
From the return of many-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams to the first career title chase of Ben Shelton, there are plenty of storylines in store for the Citi DC Open. Whether you are backing Taylor Fritz and Elena Rybakina to win it all or rooting for underdogs like Hailey Baptiste to stir up the pot, you can join in the action by signing up at the top sportsbooks you’ll find on the banners and placing your bets today.
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