The Washington tournament is shining brightly, with local forces fully mobilized, and Coach Mei aims for a rebound!

After Wimbledon, tennis players haven't been idle; they are participating in lower-tier clay or hard court events. Next week, the focus of the tennis world will be on the Washington tournament, which will kick off the North American autumn events. Recently, the latest singles draw has been announced, so let's see which renowned players will compete.

The local star, Fritz, who just made it to the semifinals at Wimbledon, will be the top seed; he will face the winner between Pelicard and Vukic in the second round. Other seeded players in the same quarter include Rublev, Sonego, and Fokina, all of whom are undisputed clay court specialists but have chosen to focus on North American hard courts instead of the remaining European clay events for their own reasons.

In recent years, the Washington tournament has produced several new champions who won their first 500 titles here. Notably, Fokina, who has yet to win a tour-level title, is a player to watch. The first-round showdown features Analdy against Altmaier.

The fourth seed, Shelton, and the sixth seed, Tiafoe, are both defending the second quarter; both reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and are in great form. Other seeded players include Danilo and the new Wimbledon quarterfinalist, Kopil, along with several well-known players like Brooksby, McDonald, Maolongsan, and Bunch, all gathered in this section.

The third quarter is led by Rune and Coach Mei, whose breakout performance was on North American hard courts, where he achieved the career Grand Slam. After dropping out of the world’s top ten, will he manage to bounce back? The veteran American duo, Michelson and Opelka, will compete together, while the seasoned players Monfils and Evans are also in this section. Former Canadian Masters champion Poprin will enter as the tenth seed.

The last quarter is led by Musetti, who performed exceptionally well during the clay season but exited in the first round at Wimbledon; he is likely to face Wimbledon quarterfinalist Norrie in the second round. Other seeded players include De Minaur, Lehecka, and Brandon Nakashima. A notable first-round matchup is between our player Buyun Chaokete and Belgian star Goffin.

It’s worth mentioning that defending champion Korda is absent due to injury, marking his return to the sidelines for the first time in a long while. Currently, the top spots in American men's singles are secure, with Shelton firmly established in the top ten, while former number two Paul has not competed recently. Fritz and Tiafoe still have significant rankings to protect at the US Open, and there may be changes in positions after the hard court season.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Luo Cheng Qiye)