SAN JOSÉ, CA (July 18, 2022) – The Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic’s strongest player field in two decades got even stronger on Monday as four-time Grand Slam champion and former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka has accepted a wildcard into the 2022 event, August 1-7 at– San José State University.
Tickets for the 2022 Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic are available now. Opening round tickets for this historic Bay Area event start at only $29. Weeklong and Finals Weekend ticket packages are also available at www.MubadalaSVC.com.
“We are very excited to have Naomi Osaka returning to the Bay Area,” said tournament director Vickie Gunnarsson. “She made her WTA debut at our event and watching her grow both on and off the court has been amazing.”
Gunnarsson added, “She is not only an incredible player but her commitment to equality and social change is truly inspiring.”
Osaka made her WTA main draw debut at the tournament in 2014 when the event was held at Stanford, and last visited the Bay Area in 2017. This will mark her first visit to the tournament since its move to San José.
She has won seven career WTA singles titles including major championships at the US Open in 2018 and 2020, and the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021. In 2019 she rose to No. 1 in the world becoming the first Asian player hold the top ranking.
The 2022 Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic player field is the strongest since 2002 with six current top-10 ranked players among the 22 players entered.
The list of top-10 ranked entries includes No. 3 Maria Sakkari, No. 4 Paula Badosa, No. 5 ranked Ons Jabeur, No.6 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 8 Danielle Collins, and No. 9 Garbiñe Muguruza. The six top-10 players are the most since 2002 when the event also hosted six top-10 players.
The impressive group of players also includes 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, 2017 Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic champion Madison Keys, and World No. 22 Amanda Anisimova. The tournament has also issued a wildcard to 2019 US Open Champion Bianca Andreescu.
The 2022 tournament will be one of the most competitive in the event’s history with 20 of the 22 players having won at least one WTA singles title. Overall, the field has combined to win 88 career singles titles. Six of the players have already won titles this year.
The Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic has a rich history as a groundbreaking event. Co-founded by the legendary sportswoman, visionary, and activist Billie Jean King, the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic was the first event of the historic 1971 women’s professional tennis tour, a precursor to the WTA.
Created for women by women, the tournament’s list of past champions reads like a who’s who of tennis legends including Serena Williams, Lindsay Davenport, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Andrea Jaeger, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, Venus Williams, and Kim Clijsters.
ABOUT THE MUBADALA SILICON VALLEY CLASSIC: Co-founded by Billie Jean King in 1971, the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic is the longest-running women-only professional tennis tournament in the world. Owned and operated by IMG, the Hologic WTA Tour 500-level event is the first women’s stop on the US Open Series and features a 28-player singles draw, and 16-team doubles draw.
ABOUT MUBADALA: Mubadala Investment Company is a sovereign investor managing a global portfolio, aimed at generating sustainable financial returns for the Government of Abu Dhabi. Mubadala’s $284 billion (AED 1045 billion) portfolio spans six continents with interests in multiple sectors and asset classes. We leverage our deep sectoral expertise and long-standing partnerships to drive sustainable growth and profit, while supporting the continued diversification and global integration of the economy of the United Arab Emirates. For more information about Mubadala Investment Company, please visit: www.mubadala.com
ABOUT THE US OPEN SERIES: The US Open Series is a true “regular season” of summer tennis in North America, linking nine summer WTA and ATP Tour tournaments to the US Open. The Series features a cohesive weekly schedule and centralizes how tennis is viewed in North America across multiple television and digital platforms. Fans will see today’s top champions go head-to-head with tomorrow’s emerging stars as storylines develop throughout the summer season. Each tournament also engages its local community with various outreach initiatives, including grass-roots youth tennis clinics and activities.
ABOUT IMG: IMG is a global leader in sports, events, fashion, and media. The company manages some of the world’s greatest athletes, and fashion icons, owns and operates hundreds of live events annually, and is a leading independent producer and distributor of sports and entertainment media. IMG also specializes in licensing, sports training, and league development. IMG is a subsidiary of Endeavor, a global entertainment, sports, and content company.
ABOUT SAN JOSÉ STATE UNIVERSITY: The founding campus of the 23-campus California State University system, San José State provides a comprehensive university education, granting bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in 250 areas of study – offered through its eight colleges. With more than 33,000 students and nearly 4,370 employees, San José State University continues to be an essential partner in the economic, cultural, and social development of Silicon Valley and the state, annually contributing 10,000 graduates to the workforce. The university is immensely proud of the accomplishments of its more than 260,000 alumni, 60 percent of whom live and work in the Bay Area.
Article orginally published by Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic and written by Sam Henderson
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Sam Henderson/IMG