WASHINGTON (Gray DC) – Some of the top American tennis players are competing in the nation\u2019s capital this summer at the Mubadala DC Open, a warm-up tournament for the U.S. Open in New York City.<\/p>\n
The tournament was co-founded by tennis legend Arthur Ashe in 1969. Players including Andre Agassi and Venus Williams \u2014 who is competing in this year\u2019s tournament \u2014 have participated over the years. A portion of proceeds benefits the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation, which works to improve the lives of children in lower-income households.<\/p>\n
Fans from Richmond, Va., London and Washington said the event gave them a rare chance to see professional players up close.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s pretty amazing to watch the players and how fast they can hit it,\u201d said Alex Spears, 11, a tennis fan from Richmond. \u201cAnd when you get to autograph them, they get really close to you. It\u2019s pretty cool.\u201d<\/p>\n
Liam Shannon, 14, also from Richmond, said the experience was unlike watching the sport on television. \u201cIt is very cool. It\u2019s something that like, you only ever see on TV and it\u2019s like you\u2019re there in the moment. It\u2019s incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ayaan Ahsan, 9, a fan from London, praised the players\u2019 skill. \u201cHow hard they hit the ball and like the technique is just like just like there\u2019s nothing wrong about it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Gigi, a fan from Washington, said the players\u2019 accessibility stood out. \u201cLoving the tournament. I\u2019m loving the professional tennis players here. They\u2019re greeting me. They\u2019re so friendly. The atmosphere is awesome, yes,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Players in this year\u2019s field include Ben Shelton, Jessica Pegula, Emma Navarro and Naomi Osaka.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know one day I\u2019m going to be playing with you lots,\u201d Ayaan said<\/p>\n
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