The Winston-Salem Open’s official player field includes 35 players who are inside the world’s top 75, with 15 of them ranked inside the top 50.

“Imagine being among the 75 best people in the world at your job. That’s what we will have on display next month at the Winston-Salem Open. Some of the absolute best athletes in the world will be here, and it really is going to be an incredible experience,” says Tournament Director Jeff Ryan.

On the comeback trail from hand surgery in 2022, Matteo Berrettini will revisit Winston-Salem. The Italian played on the hard courts at the Wake Forest University Tennis Complex in the 2018 Winston-Salem Open and since then rose to No. 6 in the world, reaching the 2021 Wimbledon final where he fell to Novak Djokovic. Currently, sitting at No. 50, Berrettini blazed through the draw last week in Gstaad, Switzerland where he did not drop a set en route to the title – his ninth overall.

“We’re glad to see Mat back on our courts. It’s interesting. He won Gstaad in 2018 and then came to Winston-Salem. This year, we’re seeing a repeat. It’s nice to see him playing so well again, and we know the fans will love having him here,” Ryan adds.

Another repeat performer is the new world No. 20, Frenchman Arthus Fils. The 20-year-old made his Winston-Salem Open debut in 2023 ranked 48. In the last 12 months, the NextGen ATP star has performed steadily, with the biggest title of his young career coming last week in Hamburg, Germany where he upset world No. 4 Alexander Zverev.

Ryan says he is happy fans will get another chance to see Fils in action. “Arthur is full of energy and swagger. He’s so much fun to watch and clearly has the potential. It’s great to see he’s already in the top 20.”

Another name fans will remember is Jack Draper. Great Britain’s No. 1 makes his third consecutive appearance in Winston-Salem, with his best result coming in 2022 where he made it to the quarterfinals. The 26-year-old is enjoying a career-high ranking of No. 26 notching several top-tier wins against Carlos Alcaraz, Frances Tiafoe, and Tommy Paul. In fact, Draper held off Berrettini earlier this year to win his maiden ATP Tour title in Stuttgart, Germany.

Other recognizable names include three former Winston-Salem Open champions Sabastian Baez from 2023, Adrian Mannarino from 2022, and Roberto Bautista Agut from 2017. 

Three Americans having solid summer seasons are also in the field, and fans will recognize their names as returning competitors. Marcos Giron, Alex Michelsen, and Brandon Nakashima return to Winston-Salem, with Michelsen still seeking his first ATP Tour-level title.

Ryan says he hopes people realize that while the tournament is about more than tennis, the strength of the field is top-quality.

“It can be a tough sell, we know, because people want to hear all the big names and that’s what they know. We are kind of going through a changing of the guard right now – with icons like Roger, Rafa and Andy retiring – but it’s important to note Winston-Salem has been a springboard for some of the sport’s best. In fact, 11 of the top 15 guys in the current rankings have come through or even won here. So, the big question now is, ‘Who will be next?’”