Marin Cilic, the defending men’s champion, and Victoria Azarenka, the 2013 women’s champion, have both withdrawn from the 2017 Western & Southern Open.
Cilic has withdrawn due to an adductor injury that has kept him out since Wimbledon. “I was really eager to play in Cincinnati, where I've won my first career ATP Masters 1000 singles title last year and where I had one of the best performances during my career, but I still don't feel at 100 percent to compete at the top level and to defend my title there,“ Cilic said.
Azarenka has withdrawn for personal reasons. “I am disappointed to have to pull out of the Western & Southern Open due to a family matter,” Azarenka said. “I look forward to coming back to Cincinnati and playing in front of its great fans for many years to come.”
The draw for the 2017 Western & Southern Open will take place Friday night at 6 pm. Daily play beings Saturday at 10 a.m. and continues through to the finals next Sunday, Aug. 20.
Limited tickets remain for select sessions. Grounds passes have been released for four sessions during the week. Tickets can be purchased on WSOpen.com, TicketMaster.com or by calling (513) 651-0303.
About the Western & Southern Open
The Western & Southern Open will be held August 12-20, 2017 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, 20 miles north of Cincinnati in Mason, OH. The tournament is one of the prestigious ATP Masters 1000 events on the men’s tour and a Premier 5 event for the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), making it one of only five events in the world outside of the grand slams with events of that caliber occurring during the same week at the same venue. The tournament is also one of the last stops on the US Open Series before the US Open in New York. Since 1974, the tournament has contributed more than $10 million directly to its beneficiaries: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, the Barrett Cancer Center and Tennis for City Youth.
About the US Open Series
Now in its 14th season, the world's best players on the WTA and ATP World Tour are coming together for the US Open Series. Linking seven summer WTA and ATP World Tour tournaments to the US Open, the US Open Series serves as a true regular season of hard court tennis.
Featuring a cohesive schedule, the Series centralizes the way tennis is viewed in North America, across multiple television and digital platforms. Fans will see today's top champions go head-to-head with tomorrow's emerging stars, as storylines develop throughout the summer season. Each tournament also engages its local community with a variety of outreach initiatives, including grassroots youth tennis clinics and activities.