Washington, D.C., has major league sports teams, popular college sports teams, and a variety of other team and individual sports. TheWashington metropolitan area is also home to several major sports venues includingCapital One Arena,RFK Stadium,Northwest Stadium,Audi Field, andNationals Park.

TheNFL'sWashington Commanders were among the most successful professional sports teams in North America throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, making fourSuper Bowl appearances and winning three in a ten-year period ending in 1992. The sports of this region would then fall into a period of irrelevance; after theNHL'sWashington Capitals reached the1998 Stanley Cup Finals, none of the"Big Four" teams in the area (the Commanders, the Capitals, theNBA'sWashington Wizards andMLB'sWashington Nationals) would reach its league's semifinal round for several years. The Commanders and Wizards often struggled in their respective regular seasons, while the Capitals and Nationals were known for having spectacular regular seasons followed by demoralizing playoff losses. (However,D.C. United ofMajor League Soccer would win several league championships during the late 1990s and early 2000s.)

In 2018, the Big Four drought was broken when the Capitals defeated theVegas Golden Knights in the2018 Stanley Cup Finals. The following year, the Nationals defeated theHouston Astros in the2019 World Series. Outside of the Big Four, theWashington Mystics defeated theConnecticut Sun in the2019 WNBA Finals, and theWashington Spirit won their firstNWSL Championship when they defeated theChicago Red Stars in 2021.

Popular collegiate teams include theGeorgetown Hoyas andMaryland Terrapins; both schools have each won anNCAA Division I men's basketball championship (Georgetown in1984, Maryland in2002). The region is also home to two regional sports television networks:Monumental Sports Network, based in Washington, D.C., andMid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), based inBaltimore, Maryland.

The following table shows the major league sports teams in the Washington area sorted by attendance.

Commanders

Wizards

Capitals

Nationals

D.C. United

DC Defenders

Spirit

Mystics

class=notpageimage|

Current location of major league teams in Washington, D.C. (the Commanders play inLandover, Maryland)

Northwest Stadium

Capital Centre

Capital One Arena

Nationals Park

Audi Field

CareFirst Arena

Athletic Park

Capitol Grounds

Swampoodle Grounds

Griffith Stadium

New Commanders Stadium

William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center

Uline Arena

class=notpageimage|

Location of current (green dot) and former (red dot) professional sports stadiums in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. is one of12 U.S. cities with teams in all four major sports leagues (NFL,NBA,MLB, andNHL), and is one of 11 with teams in all those sports plusMLS. It's one of only 5 cities with teams in all of those 5 leagues plus theWNBA, the professional league for women's basketball, and one of only 4 that has teams in all of those leagues plus theNWSL, the professional league for women's soccer.

Washington has had several professional soccer teams over the years. TheWashington Whips played in theUnited Soccer Association between 1967 and 1968, playing their games atRFK Stadium, when it was known as D.C. Stadium. TheWashington Darts played in theNorth American Soccer League (NASL) in 1970 and 1971. TheWashington Diplomats played in the NASL from 1974 to 1981, and had a record attendance of 53,351 in a match against theNew York Cosmos in 1980.^[9]Team America played in the NASL for one season in 1983, playing their home games at RFK Stadium.

Washington also has a history of women's professional soccer. TheWashington Freedom were a professional women's team playing in the Washington area from 2001 until 2011. The team first played in the now-defunctWomen's United Soccer Association (WUSA) between 2001 and 2003. The Freedom played at RFK for the three years of the league's existence and won the league championship in 2003, the WUSA's final year. Following the WUSA's demise, the team continued as an associate member of theW-League, playing their home games at theMaryland SoccerPlex inGermantown. In 2009, the team joined theWomen's Professional Soccer (WPS) league. In 2011, the franchise relocated toBoca Raton, Florida.

Washington is home to an originalMajor League Soccer (MLS) club,D.C. United, which began play at RFK Stadium in 1996. One ofthe most successful MLS teams (withtwelve major trophies, won domestically and at an international level), United has won fourMLS Cups, including three of the first four played. They also won theU.S. Open Cup in their first year, in 2008, and again in 2013. In addition, United have captured fourMLS Supporters Shields, the most out of any MLS club in the region. D.C. United's1997 MLS Cup victory at RFK Stadium was the only time a Washington team has won a championship within the District.^[10] United is also the first American team to win the continentalCONCACAF Champions Cup, which they won in1998. United moved to their new home,Audi Field, in 2018.

TheWashington Spirit began play as a women's professional soccer team in 2011 under the nameD.C. United Women. In December 2012, the franchise rebranded as the Washington Spirit. During its early years, the team played at the Maryland SoccerPlex, but in 2019 it moved select games to Audi Field. In 2020, the Spirit began transitioning away from the SoccerPlex, playing four home games at each of three venues: the SoccerPlex, Audi Field, andSegra Field inLeesburg, Virginia. Then in 2021, the team left the SoccerPlex entirely, splitting home games between Audi Field and Segra Field. Beginning in 2023, the team moved all of its home games to Audi Field. The team is one of the eight charter members of theNational Women's Soccer League (NWSL), a professional league launched by theUnited States Soccer Federation in2013. The Spirit won the 2021NWSL Championship.

Since 2019, the area has been represented in the second tier of U.S. men's soccer, theUSL Championship, byLoudoun United FC, owned and operated by D.C. United as their official reserve side. Loudoun United started play at Audi Field, moving to their permanent home of Segra Field during their first season.

RFK Stadium has hosted two more MLS Cup championships.In 2000, theKansas City Wizards (now known asSporting Kansas City) won their first championship with a 1–0 win over theChicago Fire. In the2007 MLS Cup, theHouston Dynamo defeated theNew England Revolution 2–1. RFK Memorial Stadium also served as a soccer venue in the1994 FIFA World Cup and the1996 Summer Olympics. RFK also hosted games during the2003 FIFA Women's World Cup.Northwest Stadium has also hosted several prominent soccer games, including six matches in the1999 FIFA Women's World Cup. In July 2011, a match betweenManchester United andBarcelona at Northwest Stadium (then called FedExField) drew a crowd of 81,807, a record soccer attendance for the D.C. metropolitan area.^[11]

On October 29, 2022, Audi Field hosted the2022 NWSL Championship game between thePortland Thorns FC and theKansas City Current.

DC United has hosted threeMLS All-Star Games. It hosted the2002 and2004 games at RFK Stadium. The team hosted the2023 MLS All-Star Game at Audi Field on July 19, 2023.

In the early years of professional football, teams were focused mostly in the northeast of the US, withPhiladelphia typically being the southern end of the highest professional circuit. However, Washington, D.C. had a very successful professional football team in the city during the early 1900s. TheWashington Vigilants dominated themid-Atlantic professional football landscape. From 1907 until 1914, they were an independent football team and were not affiliated with any league. During their existence, they played against several semi-professional and amateur football teams from Washington, D.C., including the Washington Potomacs, Washington Engineers, and Washington All-Stars. In the 1915 season, they were affiliated with theOhio League, though the only team from that league they played against were theYoungstown Patricians. The team folded after the 1915 season.

The first professional football team in Washington, D.C. to compete in a country-wide football league were theWashington Senators. The team was founded in 1921, and played the1921 season in the American Professional Football Association (APFA), which was renamed theNational Football League (NFL) the next year. Following that one season, the team left the APFA and continued playing as an independent professional football team until 1941, when they folded. The team was also known as the Washington Pros and Washington Presidents during its existence. They practiced and played their home games atAmerican League Park.

The NFL'sWashington Commanders (known as the Washington Redskins until 2020 and the Washington Football Team from 2020 to 2021) have played professional football in theWashington, D.C. area since 1937, when the team moved from Boston, where it was founded in 1932. Believing the team would find greater financial success in the nation's capital, the team's owner,George Preston Marshall moved the team to Washington, where they played atGriffith Stadium until 1960. Upon arriving in Washington, the team found immediate success, winning the1937 NFL Championship over theChicago Bears, with a final score of 28-21. The Redskins were led bySammy Baugh, who is widely considered to be one of the best and most important football players in the early years of the NFL. Baugh played multiple positions, includingquarterback,defensive back, andpunter. He was the first quarterback to popularize theforward pass, and threw the ball down field with greater success than any quarterback before. The Redskins lost the1940 NFL Championship game 73-0 to the Bears, in what remains the most lopsided final score in NFL history. It is believed that the team performed so poorly in that game as a form of protest against the team's ownership. Sammy Baugh led the Redskins to their secondchampionship in 1942 as well, defeating the Bears 14-6 in the championship game, which was played at Griffith Stadium in Washington. The Redskins lost the1943 NFL Championship 41-21 to the Chicago Bears and lost the1945 NFL Championship by a score of 15-14 to theCleveland Rams.

From that final NFL Championship game appearance in 1945 to the 1970s, the Redskins were perennially among the worst teams in the league, even whenSonny Jurgenson took over as the team's quarterback in the 1960s. Jurgenson was widely considered to be among the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history during his time. Legendary NFL coachVince Lombardi coached the Redskins for one season in1969, before dying of cancer. That was the first season the Redskins finished with a winning record since1955.George Allen coached the team toSuper Bowl VII in1972, where they lost to the undefeatedMiami Dolphins, 14-7.

In 1981, the team's ownerJack Kent Cooke hiredJoe Gibbs to be the new head coach. Gibbs led the Redskins to four Super Bowl appearances and three victories. The team wonSuper Bowl XVII in 1982, lostSuper Bowl XVIII in 1983, wonSuper Bowl XXII in 1987, and wonSuper Bowl XXVI in 1991.^[12] Gibbs is considered to be among the greatest coaches in the history of professional football,^{[citation needed]} and is the only coach to win Super Bowls with three different starting quarterbacks. The 1982 Super Bowl was won withJoe Theismann, the 1987 Super Bowl was won withDoug Williams—who became the first Black quarterback to start in and win a Super Bowl—and the 1991 Super Bowl was won withMark Rypien as quarterback.

The success of the Redskins in the 1980s and early 1990s vaulted the team to become one of the most important and widely supported sports franchises in the country. In the D.C. area, the Redskins were perhaps the most important cultural entity, as stores would close and people would return to their homes or go to bars to watch Redskins games. The team's valuation increased to being the second highest valued sports team in the world by the timeDaniel Snyder purchased the team in 1999.

In 1997, the team moved to a new stadium inLandover, Maryland, an eastern suburb of Washington.^[13] This marked the first time the team played its home games outside the District of Columbia since moving there in 1937. From 1961 through 1997, the team played their home games atRFK Stadium, which had become among the country's most iconic sports and football venues.

In the years since Gibbs' retirement in 1993, the team's move to what is now known asNorthwest Stadium in Landover, and Snyder's purchase of the team, the glory years have faded and the team's success has dried up. Although Gibbs returned to coach the team from 2004 to 2007, the success of his earlier stint as head coach was not re-lived.

In 2020, followingdecades of controversy regarding the team's Native American name, and decisions by several of the team's largest sponsors to stop financing the team until they changed their name, the organization announced that they were dropping the name Redskins, using the temporary name of Washington Football Team until rebranding as the Washington Commanders in 2022.

In 2023, Daniel Snyder, whose ownership of the team had beenmired in controversy amid a lack of on-field success since buying it in1999, sold the team to an investment group led byJosh Harris, owner of thePhiladelphia 76ers andNew Jersey Devils, for $6.05 billion.^[14] In addition to Harris, the group has 20 limited partners worth a combined $100 billion, includingDanaher founder and art collectorMitchell Rales,Basketball Hall of FamerMagic Johnson, 76ers and Devils co-ownerDavid Blitzer, venture capitalist andWashington Kastles ownerMark Ein,Maverick Capital founderLee Ainslie,Blue Owl Capital founders Marc Lipschultz and Doug Ostrover, financierAlejandro Santo Domingo andhis family,ProShares founder Michael Sapir, formerGoogle CEOEric Schmidt, andCambridge Information Group CEO Andy Snyder.^[15][16] The deal was the highest price ever paid for a sports team.^[17]

In 2024, the second year of Harris’ ownership, the team won their first playoff game since2005 and made their firstNFC Championship Game appearance since 1991, before losing to division rival and the eventualSuper Bowl LIX championPhiladelphia Eagles, marking a turnaround in the team’s success in recent years.

Two other professional football leagues to have had teams in Washington include the indoorArena Football League (AFL) andXFL, which merged with theUSFL to form theUnited Football League (UFL).

TheWashington Commandos competed in the Arena League in 1987, 1989, and 1990. In 1987 and 1989, the team played their home games at theCapital Centre in the suburb of Landover, Maryland. In 1989, the team was known as the Maryland Commandos. In 1990, they played their home games at thePatriot Center inFairfax, Virginia, and returned to being called the Washington Commandos.

TheWashington Valor competed in the AFL from 2017 to 2019. As an indoor football league that competes on a smaller playing surface than traditional football, the team played their home games inCapital One Arena. Although the team finished with an overall regular season record of 12-26 and an overall postseason record of 2-3, they wonArenaBowl XXXI in 2018 by a score of 69-55 against theBaltimore Brigade. Following the 2019 season, the AFL was suspended indefinitely, and the Valor have not played since.

TheDC Defenders competed in the XFL from 2020 until 2023. They play their home games atAudi Field. In the 2023 season, the Defenders finished with a league-best record of 9-1 in the regular season and were the heavy favorites going into the playoffs. However, they lost the2023 XFL Championship Game to theArlington Renegades, 35-26. Following the 2023 XFL and USFL merger, the Defenders became part of the UFL, where they currently compete. The Defenders won the2025 UFL championship, beating theMichigan Panthers 58-34 at theDome at America's Center inSaint Louis, Missouri.

TheD.C. Divas of theWomen's Football Alliance are awomen's tackle football team based in the Washington area. They've competed since 2000, and won the championship in 2006, 2015, and 2016.

The headquarters of theNational Football League Players Association (NFLPA), which is the labor union representing the players of the NFL, is located in the Upshaw Place building on 20th Street inNorthwest Washington.

The1941 NFL draft was held at theWillard Hotel in Washington and the2027 NFL draft will be held on theNational Mall in downtown Washington.

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Washington's first professional baseball team was theWashington Olympics, which played in Washington, D.C. in1871 and1872. A new team known as theWashington Senators played in theAmerican Association in 1891, after which it played in theNational League (NL) for the duration of its existence. After this Senators franchise folded in 1899, anotherWashington Senators team was founded in 1901 and played in theAmerican League (AL). This franchise was officially called the Washington Nationals from 1905 to 1955, but was commonly called the "Senators" during its time in Washington. The team played from 1911 onwards atGriffith Stadium inNorthwest Washington. The Senators won the1924 World Series in seven games against theNew York Giants, with game seven at Griffith Stadium ending in the bottom of the 12th inning. The team also won the 1925 and 1933 AL Pennants. This team left forMinnesota in 1960 and became the Minnesota Twins. The very next season, an expansionWashington Senators franchise was founded in the city, and played in Washington from 1961 to 1971. Following the1971 season, the team moved toDallas and became the Texas Rangers.

Theceremonial first pitch, which is now common across baseball, began in Washington in 1910 when PresidentWilliam Howard Taft threw out the first pitch at the Senators'Opening Day game.

SeveralNegro league baseball teams played in Washington including theBlack Senators and theElite Giants. The longest lasting was theHomestead Grays, which played some home games in Washington from 1940 to 1950. Though officially based in thePittsburgh area, the Grays played a number of home games at their "home away from home",Griffith Stadium in Washington, and were often referred to as the Washington Grays. The Grays won theNegro League World Series in 1943, 1944, and 1948.

Washington was without a professional baseball team for over three decades untilMajor League Baseball relocated theMontreal Expos to the city for the2005 season, becoming theWashington Nationals. In the interim, theBaltimore Orioles served as Washington's home team. Orioles ownership marketed the team heavily to Washington baseball fans, even removing "Baltimore" from the team's uniform (however, since the return of baseball to the D.C. area, "Baltimore" is now on the uniform again). The Orioles' reliance on the Washington market became a hindrance to Washington's efforts to gain their own baseball team as Orioles ownership lobbied Major League Baseball to keep a professional team out of Washington. Eventually, baseball's owners, burdened with a poorly performing Montreal franchise, were convinced to move the team to Washington with the promise of a brand new stadium fully financed by the D.C. government. Orioles' ownerPeter Angelos cast the lone dissenting vote in the 28–1 decision. After spending their first three seasons at RFK Stadium, the Nationals began playing atNationals Park in theNavy Yard neighborhood in 2008. The Nationals won theirfirst-ever World Series pennant in 2019, beating theHouston Astros in seven games.

Washington, D.C. has hosted fiveMajor League Baseball All-Star Games. The Washington Senators hosted the1937 and1956 All-Star Games at Griffith Stadium. The1962 and1969 Games were hosted by the next Washington Senators franchise and were played at RFK Stadium. The2018 All-Star Game was hosted by the Nationals at Nationals Park.

Washington's first professional basketball team was theWashington Capitols, which played in the inaugural season of theBasketball Association of America (BAA) (the precursor to theNational Basketball Association (NBA)). The team played their home games atUline Arena. In 1946, their first year, the Capitols had a .817 winning percentage, and had a 17-game winning streak at one point during the season. The team began the1948–49 season with a 15-game winning streak.^[18] The Capitols continued playing in the BAA until halting operations on January 9, 1951.

There were no professional basketball teams in Washington until theOakland Oaks moved to Washington in 1969 and formed theWashington Caps. The Caps played as part of theAmerican Basketball Association (ABA). They played their home games in Uline Arena, which was then known as the Washington Coliseum. The team only played two seasons in Washington, before moving toNorfolk, Virginia in 1970 to become theVirginia Squires.

On December 2, 1973, the NBA's Baltimore Bullets moved to the Washington area and played their first home game at the newly builtCapital Centre inLandover, Maryland. The team changed their name to theCapital Bullets during their first year in the Washington area. Their second year, they changed their city designation and became theWashington Bullets. Despite the name change, the team continued to play many of their home games in Baltimore at theBaltimore Civic Center. TheBullets went to theNBA Finals in1975, where they were swept in four games by theGolden State Warriors.

TheBullets' next appearance in theNBA Finals happened in1978, when they beat the heavily favoredSeattle SuperSonics in seven games. To date, this is the franchise's only league title. The two teams met again in the1979 NBA Finals, with theSonics winning 4 games to 1.

In 1995, team ownerAbe Pollin announced the Bullets would change their name out of sensitivity to the high rate ofgun violence in Washington, D.C. Following a fan vote, the team became known as theWashington Wizards on May 15, 1997. Later that year, the Wizards moved to D.C. to play in the newly constructedMCI Center, now known as Capital One Arena. This new arena was constructed by Pollin. Since the 1980s, the team has suffered from many losing seasons, and did not win a playoff series for 23 years until2005. They followed up this season by making the playoffs the next four years under the leadership of starpoint guard,Gilbert Arenas.

Following the departure of star players like Arenas,Antawn Jamison, andCaron Butler, the Wizards finished with the 5th worst record in the2009-10 NBA season. The team subsequently won the 2010 Draft Lottery and selected Kentucky point guardJohn Wall with the first pick, whom new ownerTed Leonsis and team presidentErnie Grunfeld would build the team around in the years to come. Despite this, success remained mediocre, and attendance has flat-lined as the team continues to struggle perennially.

Women's basketball has also played an important part in Washington's basketball history. In 1998, soon after the opening of the new MCI Center, an expansion team in theWomen's National Basketball Association (WNBA), theWashington Mystics, began playing their home games there. Despite having only two winning seasons and a mere four playoff wins in their early years, the Mystics led the league in attendance from 1998 through 2000 and again from 2002 through 2004. The team hung six banners in their home arena, touting themselves as "Attendance Champions". These banners were frequently criticized and in 2010 the new owner of the team and arena,Ted Leonsis, ordered them removed.^[19]

The Mystics moved to the newly constructedCareFirst Arena inSoutheast D.C. in 2019. The arena hosts the Wizards' practice facility as well. Theirfirst season in the new arena saw the Mystics claim theirfirst WNBA title, with the team's star player,Elena Delle Donne, being namedseason MVP on the strength of the first50–40–90 season in league history, andEmma Meesseman earningFinals MVP honors.

The 2018–19 season marked the debut of theCapital City Go-Go, a team owned by the Wizards that plays in the NBA's official minor league, theNBA G League. The Go-Go play at ESA.

Washington, D.C. hosted theNBA All-Star Game once at the MCI Center (now Capital One Arena) in2001. The same arena has hosted twoWNBA All-Star Games, one in2002 and another in2007.

The city often hosts games where theHarlem Globetrotters play against theWashington Generals, a team named in honor of PresidentDwight D. Eisenhower.

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From 1939 through 1942, theWashington Eagles were a minor league hockey team playing in theEastern Hockey League, which was a minor league made up of teams focused mostly on the eastern United States. They won the league championship in 1940-41. The next season, the team competed for fans with the newly establishedWashington Lions of theAmerican Hockey League, which was another minor league. Ultimately, the Lions succeeded in getting a larger fanbase than the Eagles, leading the Eagles to stop operations in 1942. The Lions played initially in Washington from 1941 to 1943 and then again from 1947 to 1949. They played their homes games atUline Ice Arena inNortheast D.C. In 1949, the team moved to Cincinnati and became theCincinnati Mohawks. The team returned to Washington in 1951, again with the nameWashington Lions. This time, however, the team was a part of the Eastern Hockey League. In an effort to rebrand and increase its fanbase, the team changed its name in 1957 to theWashington Presidents. Despite its attempt to rebrand, the team was financially unstable and ended up folding in 1960.

Following many years without professional ice hockey in Washington, businessman and sports team ownerAbe Pollin decided to purchase an expansion team in theNational Hockey League (NHL) for Washington, D.C. The new hockey team for Washington was created as part of the NHL's1974 expansion. Pollin offered fans the opportunity to send in suggestions for the team's new name. Ultimately, he chose to call the new hockey team theWashington Capitals, often shortened toCaps.

Theirfirst season, theCapitals only won eight games, which earned them an NHL-record low .131 winning percentage. The team found greater success through the 1980s and 1990s. From the1982-83 season through the1995-96 season, the Caps made the playoffs every year and won the division in1988-89.

After spending their first 23 seasons playing in theCapital Centre inLandover, Maryland, the Caps moved into D.C. to play in the newly constructedMCI Center (now known as Capital One Arena) located inChinatown in 1997. A competitive high point for the team came in their firstseason in the new arena, when they defeated theBuffalo Sabres in theEastern Conference Finals, earning a trip to theStanley Cup Finals, where they were swept in four games by theDetroit Red Wings. In 1999, the team was purchased by local businessmanTed Leonsis.

For many years after the Cup Finals appearance, the team struggled mightily on the ice. In 2004, the Capitals drafted RussianwingerAlexander Ovechkin with thefirst overall draft pick. The team made the playoffs in2007-08, which was the beginning of a long stretch during which the team was consistently among the best in the league. Despite the many regular season successes during this time, including seven division titles and threePresidents' Trophy wins between 2007 and 2017, the team struggled to achieve playoff success, and failed to make it past the second round.

This playoff disappointment ended whenEvgeny Kuznetsov lifted the Capitals over the rivalPittsburgh Penguins in overtime of Game 6 in the second round of the2018 Stanley Cup playoffs to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 20 years. Led by their captain Alexander Ovechkin, the Capitals went on to defeat theTampa Bay Lightning in seven games to claim the title as2017–18 Eastern Conference champions, the second title in franchise history. On June 7, 2018, the Capitals defeated theVegas Golden Knights in five games to win their firstStanley Cup in franchise history. Among the most important members of this team were Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, goalieBraden Holtby, defensmanJohn Carlson, and centerNicklas Backstrom. The team was coached byBarry Trotz.

In addition to their Stanley Cup championship and two Eastern Conference championships, the Capitals have won three Presidents' Trophies for having the best regular season record and have claimed 13 division titles. The team won four straight division championships as members of theSoutheast Division between the 2007 and 2010 seasons, and five straight in the currentMetropolitan Division, between 2015 and 2020. Four Capitals players have been inducted into theHockey Hall of Fame:Mike Gartner,Rod Langway,Larry Murphy, andScott Stevens. Ovechkin is widely considered to be among the greatest NHL players in history and holds the record formost regular-season goals in NHL history.

The Capitals hosted the1982 NHL All-Star Game at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland.

In late July and early August, Washington hosts an annual jointATP Tour men'stennis andWTA Tour women's tennis event: theWashington Open at theWilliam H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center inRock Creek Park. The tournament has been held at the same venue since its founding in 1969. It is anATP 500 andWTA 500 event, and serves as a popular tune-up tournament prior to theUS Open. It is the first tennis tournament in history to be both an ATP 500 and WTA 500 event, and is one of the few tournaments in the world to host both men and women. The tournament's sponsorship name is theMubadalaCiti DC Open.

From 1972 until 1991, Washington hosted theVirginia Slims of Washington, a WTA Tour women's tennis tournament. It was played on indoorcarpet courts from 1972 to 1975 and then again from 1978 to 1990. It was played on indoor hard courts from 1976 to 1977, and was played on outdoor hard courts during its final year in 1991. The most successful champion at the tournament wasMartina Navratilova, who won the singles title nine times.

In July 2008, theWashington Kastles, aWorld TeamTennis (WTT) team founded byMark Ein, played their first season in a temporary stadium indowntown Washington, D.C. finishing with a 6–8 record. In 2009, despite losing their first four matches, the Kastles won the WTT championship.^[20] The Kastles were 8–6 and just missed the playoffs in2010. In2011, the Kastles moved to Kastles Stadium at the Wharf at 800 Water Street, SW in Washington right off Maine Avenue. The Kastles played the 2011, 2012 and 2013 seasons there. In 2011, the Kastles posted a perfect season of 16–0 and won the WTT Championship. The 2011 season was the 36th for World Team Tennis, and the Kastles became the first team to accomplish the feat of a perfect season. They posted a second perfect season of 16–0 in2012, and won another WTT Championship, becoming the only professional sports team to have back-to-back undefeated seasons. In2013, the Kastles won their first match of the season to post a record of 33 straight wins, equaling the 33 games winning streak of the1971–72 Los Angeles Lakers of theNBA. The Kastles won the second match of the season to set a new record of 34 straight wins by a top-tier professional sports team. Even though the Kastles lost the third and fourth matches of the 2013 season, they went undefeated for the remainder of the season to finish with a 14–2 record and won their third consecutive WTT Championship. In2014, the Kastles moved toKastles Stadium at the Charles E. Smith Center on the campus ofGeorge Washington University and won their fourth consecutive WTT Championship with an overall record of 12–4.^[21] In the first seven years of the franchise, the Kastles won five WTT titles.

The wider Washington region has hosted multiple professional golf tournaments, includingmen's andwomen's majors. The1921 U.S. Open was played atColumbia Country Club inChevy Chase, Maryland, just north of the city's borders. The1964,1997, and2011U.S. Opens were played atCongressional Country Club inBethesda, Maryland. Congressional also served as the location for the1976 PGA Championship. The1994 U.S. Women's Open was played at thePrince George's Golf and Country Club inLandover, Maryland. Congressional hosted the2022 Women's PGA Championship. The 2027 Women's PGA Championship and 2031 Men's PGA Championship are scheduled to be played at Congressional.

Congressional also served as the home for thePGA Tour'sKemper Open from 1980 through 1986, and again in 2005. The course also hostedThe National, which wasTiger Woods' tournament, from 2007 to 2009, again from 2012 to 2014, and one final time in 2016. Woods' tournament was played at theRobert Trent Jones Golf Club in the D.C. suburb ofGainesville, Virginia in 2015 and atTPC Potomac at Avenel Farm in suburbanPotomac, Maryland in 2017 and 2018. TPC Potomac also hosted the tournament originally known as the Kemper Open from 1987 to 2004 and again in 2006. It also hosted theWells Fargo Championship in 2022.

Washington has hosted numerousWWE events, as well as the final four editions ofWCW'sStarrcade. Capital One Arena has hostedBacklash in2000,SummerSlam in2005,Cyber Sunday in2007,Survivor Series in2009,Capitol Punishment in 2011, andBattleground in2016. The arena frequently hostsRaw andSmackDown shows as well.

Capital One Arena was also home toMike Tyson's final fight (Mike Tyson vs. Kevin McBride) on June 11, 2005.^[22] On October 1, 2011,UFC Live: Cruz vs. Johnson was held at the arena.^[23]

On December 7, 2019,UFC on ESPN: Overeem vs. Rozenstruik was held at Capital One Arena.

On October 2, 2019, Capital One Arena hostedAEW Dynamite, the first televised professional wrestling event byAll Elite Wrestling. It was broadcast onTNT in the United States of America and onITV4 in the United Kingdom.^[24][25]

The following schools are located in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area:

On December 20, 2008, Washington hosted its first college bowl game, theEagleBank Bowl, at RFK Stadium. Thefirst match-up sawWake Forest defeatNavy, 29–19.^[26] After the sponsorship deal between the bowl organizers and EagleBank expired following the2009 edition, the game was renamed theMilitary Bowl, thanks to a new sponsorship deal with a major defense contractor. The game left the Washington metropolitan area after its 2012 edition; it has since been played atNavy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium inAnnapolis, Maryland, which lies within theBaltimore metropolitan area.

Georgetown University began fielding a basketball team in 1907. TheGeorgetown Hoyas compete in theBig East Conference. They have won eightBig East tournament championships and ten Big East regular season championships. They have appeared the NCAA Final Four five times, winning thenational championship in1984; that team was coached byJohn Thompson.Several NBA players got their start playing for Georgetown includingPatrick Ewing,Allen Iverson,Alonzo Mourning,Dikembe Mutombo, andReggie Williams. The Hoyas play their home games at Capital One Arena.

TheUniversity of Marylandmen's basketball team, which plays at theXfinity Center inCollege Park, Maryland just northeast of the city's border, won the2001 NCAA men's basketball tournament and made the Final Four in 2001 and 2002. They qualified for the Elite Eight in 1973, 1975, 2001, and 2002. The 2001 championship team was coached byGary Williams.

Capital One Arena has hosted games in theNCAA Division I men's basketball tournament numerous times over the years. The city hosted first and second round games in 1998, 2002, 2008, and 2011, and hosted the regional finals (sweet sixteen and elite eight) in 2006, 2013, and 2019.^[27] The2005–06 George Mason Patriots men's basketball team from neighboringFairfax, Virginia advanced to the Final Four in the Washington, D.C. region of the NCAA bracket, and played their sweet sixteen and elite eight games at Capital One Arena in 2006. The arena also hosted theAtlantic 10 men's basketball tournament in 2018, 2022, and 2025. It hosted theACC men's basketball tournament in 2005, 2016, and 2024. In 2017, the arena hosted theBig Ten Men's basketball tournament.

Capital One Arena also hosted the 2009"Frozen Four," the final two rounds of the2009 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.

Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland has served as a neutral site for numerous college football games over the years. Among the most prominent were the 112thArmy-Navy game, played in 2011, and 125th game, played in 2024.

In 2023, a newTwenty20 Cricket league calledMajor League Cricket formed and gave Washington, D.C. one of 6 teams to start the league's inaugural season.^[28] They're called theWashington Freedom and they became the 2024 MLC champions by winning the2024 Major League Cricket final over theSan Francisco Unicorns by a 96 run deficit.

Washington, D.C. is home to 22flag football teams that play under theDC Gay Flag Football League which is part of theNational Gay Flag Football League. In 1994, the DC League formed as an organized unit.^[29] The DCGFFL won theGay Bowl in 2003 and 2004.^[30] In September 2010, DCGFFL premiered in its first season as an official league as part of the NGFFL.^[31] Washington, D.C. hosted theGay Bowl in 2016 on theNational Mall.^[32][30]

Fairfax, Virginia in the Washington suburbs was home to theWashington Bayhawks^[33] ofMajor League Lacrosse (MLL).^[34] The Bayhawks moved toGeorge Mason Stadium, after playing one season atGeorgetown University and six seasons inBaltimore. The Bayhawks are one of Major League Lacrosse's original six teams, created in 2001 the same year the league started. The Bayhawks have twice won championships in the MLL in 2002 and 2005. The Bayhawks began playing their home games atNavy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium inAnnapolis, Maryland, which is in the federally definedBaltimore Metropolitan Area, for the 2009 season and changed their name to the Chesapeake Bayhawks in 2010. TheWashington Power were a member of theNational Lacrosse League (NLL), which is abox lacrosse league, during the 2001 and 2002 seasons. After the inaugural championship in 1987 in Baltimore (as the Thunder) through 1999 and an unsuccessful stint in Pittsburgh (as the CrosseFire), the franchise moved to Washington, D.C. in 2001. They played their first season at the MCI Center (nowCapital One Arena), and their second season at theCapital Centre inLandover, Maryland. After two seasons of low attendance in Washington, the franchise moved, this time to Denver, Colorado, and became theColorado Mammoth. In Colorado they have seen success both on and off the field, culminating in 2006, when they had the highest attendance in the league, and also won the Champion's Cup.

The Washington, D.C. area has been home to numerousrugby union teams, including men's, women's, college and high school. Prominent club teams include theWashington Rugby Football Club,Washington Irish R.F.C.,Potomac Athletic Club and theMaryland Exiles. The latter two clubs merged in 2014 as thePotomac Exiles Rugby Club. TheMaryland Terrapins rugby team plays in theAtlantic Coast Rugby League against its traditional ACC rivals. At the high school level,Gonzaga fields one of the strongest programs in the country, and Pride rugby (formerly Hyde rugby) gained national attention as the first rugby program at a predominantly African-American school.

In 2018, it was announced that Paul Sheehy, owner and director of used operations for Sheehy Auto Stores, and Chris Dunlavey, president and co-founder of Brailsford & Dunlavey, have secured the right to launch a D.C.-basedMajor League Rugby (MLR) team,^[35] namedOld Glory DC. TheScottish Rugby Union has a part ownership of the team. The team is coached byNate Osborne in an interim capacity after former head coachAndrew Douglas departed the club halfway through the 2022 season. Old Glory played an abbreviated schedule of exhibition games in2019 and began regular-season MLR play in2020.

TheWashington, D.C. Slayersrugby league team played in theUSA Rugby League (USARL) from 2003 until 2016, when they folded. They played their home games at Duke Ellington Field, located at 38th St NW and R St NW. The other USARL rugby league team in the Washington, D.C. area, theNorthern Virginia Eagles, played inFairfax County, Virginia until suspending their operations in 2020 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.

TheBaltimore Washington Eagles played in theUnited States Australian Football League (USAFL) from 1998 until 2017. That year, the team split into two separate franchises. The DC Eagles became the team representing Washington and the Baltimore Dockers began representing Baltimore.

Washington is home to two annual marathon races: theMarine Corps Marathon which is held every autumn and theRock 'n' Roll USA Marathon held in the spring. The Marine Corps Marathon begun in 1976 is sometimes called "The People's Marathon" because it is the largest marathon without prize money.^[36] TheCherry Blossom 10-Mile Run is another annual race that began in 1973 and is conducted as part of theNational Cherry Blossom Festival. TheArmy Ten-Miler, started in 1985, is the country's largest ten-mile race with over 26,000 participants; it is held each October and its course runs through Washington, D.C. and finishes atthe Pentagon.^[37]

TheWashington Justice compete in theOverwatch League (OWL) as part of the West region. The team was founded in 2018.

TheWashington Wizards host the Wizards District Gamingesports team as part of theNBA 2K League. Wizards District Gaming won the 5v5 championship in 2020 and 2021.

The Washington, D.C. area's regional sports television network,Monumental Sports Network, is based in Washington. The Capitals and Wizards air their games on this network. The network also has shows focused on the Commanders.^[38]

The Nationals play their games onMASN, a network they share with theBaltimore Orioles.

The Commanders have a partnership with the classic rock radio stationBIG 100.3.

Local sports talk radio stations include106.7 The Fan,The Team 980, andESPN 630 D.C.The Sports Junkies are among the most popular shows on The Fan, and they have covered local sports and culture in the D.C. area since 1996.

The primary print news source for local sports coverage isThe Washington Post, whose sports section has been written by numerous award-winning journalists over the years, includingMichael Wilbon,Tony Kornheiser, andJohn Feinstein.

Washington, D.C. is also home to nationally televised sports shows, including the midnight edition ofESPN'sSportsCenter, hosted byScott Van Pelt, as well as ESPN'sPardon the Interruption, hosted by formerWashington Post columnists Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser. Previously, the city was home to ESPN'sAround the Horn.

The rivalries between the sports teams inNew York City and Washington, D.C. have been among the best and most historic in the country. Each city's importance in America's media landscape has helped increase the notoriety of these rivalries, as has the fact that many teams in each city play in the same division.

The rivalry with the longest history between teams in each city is therivalry between theNew York Giants and theWashington Commanders in theNational Football League (NFL). Both teams play in theEastern division of theNational Football Conference (known as the NFC East). The two teams therefore play against each other twice every regular season. Both teams are among the oldest and most successful in professional football, with the rivalry dating back to 1932. This matchup has included some of the game's greatest players and coaches throughout the decades.

In theNational Hockey League (NHL), strong rivalries exist between theWashington Capitals and theNew York Rangers, as well as the Capitals and theNew York Islanders. All three compete in theMetropolitan Division of theEastern Conference. Both theCapitals–Rangers rivalry andCapitals–Islanders rivalry have increased in intensity over the decades as a result of highly competitive playoff matchups, in addition to regular season encounters. Though not as historic and intense as the ones with the two New York-based teams, theNew Jersey Devils also play in the Metropolitan Division and are therefore a division rival for the Capitals.

There is also a rivalry between theNew York Red Bulls andD.C. United ofMajor League Soccer (MLS). The teams are among the oldest and most historic teams in the league. This rivalry dates back to 1996, the league's inaugural season. Both teams play in theEastern Conference and have competed against each other in critical playoff matches over the years. Their rivalry is known as theAtlantic Cup, which is also the name of the trophy awarded to the team that wins the matchup.

TheWashington Nationals andNew York Mets ofMajor League Baseball (MLB) also share a rivalry. Though this rivalry has not existed for as long as the others between teams based in New York and Washington, the two compete in theNL East. This has helped a rivalry develop between the two teams in the years since the Nationals moved to Washington, D.C. in 2005.

The rivalry between teams inPhiladelphia and Washington, D.C. has been aided by the fact that the two cities have teams in the same division in theNFL,NHL,MLB, andMLS.

ThePhiladelphia Eagles and the Washington Commanders of the NFL have a long and historicrivalry, having (almost always) competed in thesame division since 1933. Currently, both teams play in theNFC East and therefore play each other twice every regular season.

ThePhiladelphia Flyers and the Washington Capitals of the NHL both played in thePatrick Division during the 1980s and early 1990s, during which time the rivalry was extremely intense. Since 2013, both play in theMetropolitan Division of theEastern Conference. TheCapitals–Flyers rivalry has been intense both during the regular season as well as during the playoffs. The teams have metfive times in the NHL playoffs. This rivalry dates back to 1974, when the Capitals joined the league.

Since the Nationals moved to Washington, D.C. in 2005, they have had arivalry with thePhiladelphia Phillies, as both compete in theNL East of the MLB. ThePhiladelphia Union of the MLS have developed an intraconferencerivalry with D.C. United.^[39] TheWashington Wizards and thePhiladelphia 76ers both play in the NBA'sEastern Conference, and the two teams met in the NBA playoffsfive times, most recently in 2021. They also met in 1971, when the current Washington franchise was based inBaltimore.

Due to the two cities' proximity to one another, historic and contemporary rivalries have existed between teams from both cities.

From 1972 to 2004, Washington did not have a baseball team; as a result, many baseball fans in the Washington area supported the nearbyBaltimore Orioles, making them thede facto baseball team for Washington. When Washington was looking for a team, the ownership of the Orioles disapproved of the effort for fear that they would lose the Washington market to the new team. They were the only team to vote against moving theMontreal Expos to Washington. Therefore, when the Nationals began play in 2005, a natural rivalry was born between the new Washington team and the team that had historic support in the Washington region. This rivalry is known as theBeltway Series, or Battle of the Beltways, taken from thebeltway highways, theBaltimore Beltway (I-695) and theCapital Beltway (I-495), that serveBaltimore andWashington, D.C., respectively. Given that the two teams play in different leagues (the Nationals play in theNational League and the Orioles play in theAmerican League), it is a rare interleague rivalry.

The Commanders andBaltimore Ravens of the NFL have a slight rivalry. Though because the two teams play in different conferences (the Commanders play in theNational Football Conference and the Ravens play in theAmerican Football Conference), they rarely play against each other in the regular season. However, there generally is a matchup between these two teams every preseason.

• Washington DC Sports Hall of Fame
• District of Columbia Interscholastic Athletic Association
• U.S. cities with teams from four major sports

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• D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission
• Greater Washington Sports Alliance

• Sports in Washington, D.C.

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