By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday August 3, 2021
Three-time Major champion Andy Murray and 21-year-old American Sebastian Korda have been awarded wild cards for the men’s singles field for the 2021 Western & Southern Open.
Murray, a two-time champion in Cincinnati, is one of seven former Western & Southern Open champions to join the field. Korda, who claimed his first title on the ATP tour at Parma earlier this season and is currently ranked 45, is the son of two-time Western & Southern Open quarterfinalist Petr Korda.
Murray, who underwent a hip resurfacing operation in January 2019, currently carries a ranking of 105. He is 4-4 in 2021, but owns 680 tour-level victories and 46 ATP titles.
Korda reached his first career ATP final to open the 2021 season at Delray Beach, then won the title on clay at Parma. The American was ranked 2013 last October when he reached the round of 16 on his Roland Garros debut. He also reached the second week on his Wimbledon debut this summer, becoming just the third man in Open Era history to reach the round of 16 on both his Roland Garros and Wimbledon debuts, along with Bjorn Borg (1973) and Mikael Pernfors (1986).
The Western & Southern Open will be held Aug. 14-22, with first serve will take place at 10 a.m. on Aug. 14 for the qualifying tournament. The men’s and women’s singles finals will take place on Sunday, Aug. 22.