Andy Murray and Viktoria Azarenka have received a Wild Card for the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. At the ATP Masters and WTA Premier Mandatory Event, the two players who slipped down in the world rankings are thus in the main field.
“The comebacks of Vika and Andy actually speak for themselves,” said tournament director Andre Silva. “I think that many tennis fans want to see them on the court, and it’s a pleasure for us to give them both a wild card.”
For Murray, competing in Cincinnati means a full programme before the US Open, where he wants to make his Grand Slam comeback: he has named for the ATP 500 event in Washington next week, followed by the Masters double in Toronto and Cincinnati.
Murray returned to the ATP tour at Queen’s Club in early July, but was defeated by Nick Kyrgios. A week later, he triumphed over Stan Wawrinka in Eastbourne, but then retired against Kyle Edmund. The former world number one did without a start in Wimbledon.
Cincinnati is also a good soil for Azarenka: The Belarusian won the tournament in 2012. The 28-year-old is currently the world’s number 110, after months of a child litigation with her son Leo’s father that prevented her from leaving the United States.