By Ashley Marshall
Former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka will join a star-studded player field at the 2018 Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic this summer.
The two-time Grand Slam women’s singles champion has committed to the US Open Series event formerly known as the Bank of the West Classic – an event she won in 2010.
"I have played this event several times and have always had an enjoyable experience," Azarenka said. "The tennis fans in California are always supportive, and the player field will be quite challenging. I am also excited to see what the new venue will be like in San Jose.
The Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic, which takes place July 30-Aug. 5, is the second overall US Open Series event and the first stop on the women’s series.
Azarenka, the 2012 and 2013 Australian Open champion, joins 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, five-time major winner Maria Sharapova, defending tournament champion and 2017 US Open finalist Madison Keys, and last year’s Bank of the West Classic singles finalist CoCo Vandeweghe as early tournament entries.
The tournament’s full player field will be announced on June 19.
Azarenka will be making her fifth appearance at the tournament and her first since 2014, when she faced Venus Williams in the first round. As well as winning the singles title in 2010 – a run that included wins over world No. 5 Sam Stosur and fifth-seeded Sharapova – Azarenka also captured the doubles title with Maria Kirilenko in 2011, defeating top seeds Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond in the championship match.
It will be Azarenka’s first time playing in a US Open Series event since the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati in 2015.
The Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic will be held at San José State University, located roughly 20 miles southeast of the former tournament site at Palo Alto.
Individual-session tickets and ticket packages for the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic are on sale now. To purchase tickets, click here or call 1-866-982-8497.