Cincinnati: Former World No.1 players Andy Murray and Victoria Azarenka have been handed wild card entries to compete at the Cincinnati Open tennis tournament starting next month, the organisers announced, Friday.
The Scot who dropped to 839th in men’s rankings was out for almost a year due to injury which required a surgery in January returned to tennis at Queen’s Club in June. He even pulled out of this year’s Wimbledon citing that his right hip was still not ready for the demands of a Grand Slam.
Meanwhile, two-times Grand Slam winner and World No.110 Azarenka, who won the Cincinnati Open in 2013, will return to the women’s draw for the first time since 2016 as she continues her comeback following a prolonged legal battle over the custody of her son Leo last year.
“The resumes for Vika and Andy really speak for themselves,” tournament director Andre Silva was quoted by saying in the tournament’s website.
“I think many tennis fans are eager to see each of them back on the court, and we are pleased to offer them both wild cards to play the Western & Southern Open.”
A further seven players – three men and four women – will be handed wild cards for the tournament, which begins on August 11, around two weeks before the US Open which starts on August 27.
