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The North American hard-court swing is under way with Emma Raducanu in action against Naomi Osaka at the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington - live on Sky Sports Tennis.
Raducanu began her build-up towards next month's US Open with an impressive straight-sets win over seventh seed Marta Kostyuk and next faces former world No 1 Osaka for the very first time from 6pm on Thursday.
"I think it's a great match for a lot of spectators, which is great to be a part of," Raducanu said. "I felt the same way when I played Aryna [Sabalenka] at Wimbledon. That atmosphere was unbeatable for me. I think all the exposure I get to these top opponents [is good].
"She's won four Grand Slams, so an incredible achievement and incredible career so far, and she's been playing really good tennis this year. Yeah, it will be a great test of my own game and myself."
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From 2018 through 2021, Raducanu and Osaka won three of the four US Open titles.
Osaka fell in the third round at Wimbledon to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, after losing in the first round of the French Open to Paula Badosa, but the Japanese star feels a certain level of comfort returning to hard-courts and is ready for an entertaining battle with Raducanu.
"I'm always a person that loves when people are entertained," Osaka said. "So I would say I'm excited about it. I've never played her before, so for me that's something really cool too.
"Because I have seen her, I guess when she first did well at Wimbledon before she won the US Open, like moments like that, and I knew she was a good player. So I guess for our paths to finally cross is really cool."
Who else is playing at the Mubadala Citi DC Open?
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Dan Evans, the 2023 champion, was awarded a wildcard for the tournament and he enjoyed a triumphant return to DC as he came from behind to beat Zizou Bergs on Monday.
Evans will play Frenchman Corentin Moutet from 6pm Thursday, with Britain's Cameron Norrie defeating fellow Brit Billy Harris and then upsetting second seed Lorenzo Musetti to set up an encounter with American Brandon Nakashima from 4pm.
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On the WTA side Katie Boulter suffered an early exit to Greece's Maria Sakkari, two weeks after a second round defeat to Argentine Solana Sierra at Wimbledon.
Venus Williams accepted a main-draw wildcard and became the oldest player since Martina Navratilova to win a tour-level singles match.
The 45-year-old defeated fellow American Peyton Stearns 6-3 6-4 for her first singles victory since August 2023.
It was Williams' first singles match in 16 months and the unranked seven time Grand Slam singles champion will face Polish fifth seed Magdalena Frech in the next round.
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What is the schedule for the Mubadala Citi DC Open?
Qualifying: Saturday, 19 July and Sunday, 20 July
Main Draw: Monday, 21 July-Saturday, 26 July
Singles Finals: Sunday, 27 July
When is the Mubadala Citi DC Open?
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Say hello to the North American summer hard-court season - six tournaments in seven weeks, culminating with the US Open, the season's fourth and final Grand Slam.
The Mubadala Citi DC Open is a combined ATP/WTA 500 event hosting an elite roster of men's and women's stars in the capital.
The ATP/WTA 500 event will be held from Monday, 21 July to Sunday, 27 July. The hard-court tournament will take place at the Fitzgerald Tennis Center.
Who won the last editions of the Mubadala Citi DC Open in 2024?
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Sebastian Korda defeated Flavio Cobolli in last year's final, winning 4-6 6-2 6-0. With the win, he became the first American man to win the Washington crown since Andy Roddick in 2007. He also matched his father, Petr Korda, who won the DC title in 1992.
Paula Badosa won the women's title. However, the world No 10 will not be back to defend her 2024 crown after pulling out earlier this week due to a back injury.
Watch the ATP and WTA Tours, as well as the US Open in New York, live on Sky Sports in 2025 or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.
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