The 2016 Citi Open: Great Tennis with a Big Impact in the Community

Last month marked the fifth summer that Citi served as the title sponsor of the Citi Open Tennis Tournament in Washington, D.C., which raises funding and awareness for the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation (WTEF), the tournament's non-profit owner and beneficiary. Our sponsorship of this event provides us with a unique opportunity to show our support for a city and a community where we have maintained a strong presence for more than century.

The WTEF is a remarkable organization that has been improving the lives of underserved youth in Washington, D.C. for 60 years. As one of the few tournaments in the world operated by a non-profit organization, The Citi Open is a noteworthy example of how a corporation and a charitable group can work together towards the common goal of improving people's lives.

With that focus in mind, we wanted to create multiple opportunities throughout the Citi Open to celebrate the WTEF while providing opportunities for D.C. youth. A new event, "Citi Open Professional Development Day," paired WTEF students with professionals working behind the scenes at the tournament, allowing the students to get a close-up inside look at the various roles involved in making an event like the Citi Open come to life.

We also brought back the popular "Speed Serve" program, in which fans and pro tennis players teamed up to hit serves that resulted in a $50,000 donation for the WTEF at the end of the tournament. Citi also continued a tradition now in its fifth year, the WTEF Hall of Fame, which recognizes individuals who have positively impacted the organization throughout its history. At a special ceremony at this year's Open, we honored three more long-time supporters of the WTEF, bringing the five-year total of honorees to 17.

Throughout the tournament, the talents of some of the most extraordinary tennis players in the world were on full display. Collectively, the international fields represented 34 countries worldwide, including an impressive 130 ATP/WTA singles titles. For a fifth straight year The Citi Open brought together Citi's mission of enabling growth and progress and the WTEF's mission of building life champions, resulting in a perfect match for tennis fans and the Greater Washington D.C. community alike.