Former world number ones Andy Murray and Victoria Azarenka have been handed wildcards into next month’s ATP-WTA Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, tournament organisers announced on Thursday.
Murray and Azarenka, both former winners of the tournament, will line up in the 56-player fields for the tournament, which takes place from August 11-19 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Ohio.
Welcome back to Cincinnati, champs! 🏆
— Western & Southern Open (@CincyTennis) July 26, 2018
2013 winner Victoria Azarenka and two-time champion Andy Murray awarded wild cards into 2018 #CincyTennis: https://t.co/BtToPamtY7 pic.twitter.com/X6OdtsTr6C
Azarenka won the tournament in 2013, defeating Serena Williams in the final. The two-time major winner has not played Cincinnati since giving birth to her son in 2016.
Murray, who lifted the Cincinnati crown in 2008 and 2011, last played the event in 2016.
The Scottish star has been plagued by a hip injury since last season, returning in June this year during the grass-court season.
Murray’s world ranking has plummeted to 839 after he pulled out of this year’s Wimbledon.