J.J. Wolf and Carol Young Suh Lee have clinched main-draw singles wild cards into the 2026 US Open after winning the men’s and women’s US Open Wild Card Challenges.

Lee, 24, clinched the top spot in the Challenge last week by qualifying and winning the WTA 125 in Warsaw, Poland. Her strong finish in the final two weeks of the four-week Challenge—which included qualifying and reaching the second round of the WTA 250 in Prague—put her at the top of the race, while Caroline Dolehide finished second, with 122 points, and Elvina Kalieva finished third, with 120 points.

Wolf, 27, clinched the men’s wild card this week when second-place Andres Martin was eliminated from the USTA Pro Circuit ATP Challenger 75 in Brownsburg, Ind. Wolf, who has twice reached the third round of the US Open and was ranked inside the Top 40 as recently as 2023, banked 125 points from winning the ATP Challenger 125 in Vancouver, his first Challenger-level title since 2021.

View the full women’s and men’s standings from throughout the Challenge below.

The 2026 US Open Wild Card Challenge kicked off immediately following Wimbledon on July 13, with a singles main-draw wild card on offer for one American man and one U.S. woman. The women’s Challenge ended on Aug. 9, while the men’s Challenge runs through Aug. 16.

The men’s wild card was determined by the American with the highest cumulative total of ATP singles ranking points earned from their best four hard-court results over five weeks. The women’s wild card was decided by the highest cumulative total of WTA singles ranking points earned from the best three hard-court results over four weeks.

Standings Update (Aug. 13)

Women’s Final Standings

(Player’s current ranking in parentheses)
1. Carol Young Suh Lee (165) – 174
2. Caroline Dolehide (256) – 122
3. Elvina Kalieva (121) – 120

Men’s Standings

(Player’s current ranking in parentheses)
1. J.J. Wolf (282) – 147
2. Andres Martin (340) – 73
3. Michael Zheng (113) – 60

Standings Update (Aug. 5)

Twenty-three-year-old Elvina Kalieva and 27-year-old J.J. Wolf are the leaders of the USTA’s US Open Wild Card Challenge after its third of four weeks for the women and five weeks for the men.

With just one week left in the women’s challenge, Kalieva leads the standings after reaching the semifinals of the WTA 250 Memphis Classic in Tennessee. Second-place Caroline Dolehide follows closely, sitting just 18 points back.

Wolf, who has twice reached the third round of the US Open and was ranked inside the Top 40 as recently as 2023, secured his sixth ATP Challenger title over the weekend at the 125 Vancouver Open in Canada. With the victory, he leads Michael Zheng by 87 points.

The top of the standings after Week 3:

Women’s Standings

(Player’s current ranking in parentheses)
1. Elvina Kalieva (121) -- 119
2. Caroline Dolehide (256) -- 101
3. Ayana Akli (242) -- 66

Men’s Standings

(Player’s current ranking in parentheses)
1. J.J. Wolf (282) -- 147
2. Michael Zheng (113) -- 60
3. Andres Martin (340) -- 57

Standings Update (July 28)

Twenty-seven-year-old Caroline Dolehide and 22-year-old Michael Zheng are the leaders of the USTA’s US Open Wild Card Challenge after its second of four weeks for the women and five weeks for the men.

Dolehide, who won her first World Tennis Tour title since 2023 and ninth overall, leads the women’s standings after lifting the USTA Pro Circuit W100 title in Evansville, Ind., on Sunday. The victory is Dolehide’s biggest title to date after four W60s, three W25s and one W10. Second-place Malaika Rapolu won the USTA Pro Circuit W35 in Santa Fe, N.M., over the weekend.

Zheng, a two-time NCAA men’s singles champion with Columbia, reached the semifinals of the USTA Pro Circuit ATP Challenger 125 in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. He is just seven points ahead of Evan Bynoe, who won the USTA Pro Circuit M25 in Champaign, Ill.

The top of the standings after Week 2:

Women’s Standings

(Player’s current ranking in parentheses)
1. Caroline Dolehide (252) -- 100
2. Malaika Rapolu (387) -- 43
3. Hanna Chang (303) -- 35

Men’s Standings

(Player’s current ranking in parentheses)
1. Michael Zheng (118) -- 35
2. Evan Bynoe (939) -- 28
3. Ozan Baris (486) -- 25

Standings Update (July 22)

Twenty-eight-year-old Hanna Chang and 22-year-old Ozan Baris are the leaders of the USTA’s US Open Wild Card Challenge after its first of four weeks for the women and five weeks for the men.

Chang, who has won three USTA Pro Circuit W35 singles titles already this year, leads the women’s standings after winning the W35 in Dallas on Sunday. Second-place Elizabeth Mandlik made the semifinals of the W75 in Granby, Canada.

Baris won his second USTA Pro Circuit M25 title of the year in Louisville, Ky., after winning the M25 Wichita event in June. He is just three points ahead of Murphy Cassone, who reached the semifinals at the Granby Challenger in Canada, and Spencer Johnson, who also reached a Challenger semifinal in Lincoln, Neb.

The top of the standings after Week 1:

Women’s Standings

(Player’s current ranking in parentheses)
1. Hanna Chang (326) -- 35
2. Elizabeth Mandlik (169) -- 29
3. Lea Ma (274) -- 16

Men’s Standings

(Player’s current ranking in parentheses)
1. Ozan Baris (586) -- 25
T2. Murphy Cassone (269) -- 22
T2. Spencer Johnson (524) -- 22

Past Winners

The USTA utilizes this Challenge format to award singles main-draw wild cards into the US Open, French Open and Australian Open. Wild cards earned from the Challenges have been a springboard for many Americans over the years. Iva Jovic won the Roland Garros Wild Card Challenge in 2025 while ranked No. 120 and a year later is the youngest player in the WTA Top 20, at No. 17. Tommy Paul won two Challenges between 2017-19 en route to eventually reaching the Top 10.

Previous US Open Wild Card Challenge winners (and how they did at that year’s US Open) are below:

2025: Emilio Nava (1R), Caty McNally (2R)
2024: Learner Tien (1R), Amanda Anisimova (1R)
2023: Steve Johnson (1R), Kayla Day (1R)
2022: J.J. Wolf (3R), Elizabeth Mandlik (2R)
2019: Ernesto Escobedo (1R), Kristie Ahn (4R)
2018: Bradley Klahn (1R), Asia Muhammad (1R)
2017: Tommy Paul (1R), Sofia Kenin (3R)
2016: Ernesto Escobedo (2R), Sofia Kenin (1R)
2015: Bjorn Fratangelo (1R), Samantha Crawford (1R)
2014: Wayne Odesnik (1R), Nicole Gibbs (3R)
2013: Bradley Klahn (2R), Shelby Rogers (1R)
2012: Steve Johnson (3R), Mallory Burdette (3R)

The 2026 US Open will be held from Aug. 23 - Sept. 13 in New York.

A year after suffering a shoulder injury that felt more like a car crash, J.J. Wolf had completed the arduous journey back to a professional tennis court. This February, in Naples, Florida, the former world No. 39 was about to win for the first time with a surgically repaired shoulder.

“I remember match point, I had tears in my eyes,” Wolf tells Inside American Tennis. “I couldn’t believe I was playing a match, and it was hard to get that done. I couldn’t even see.”

Fast-forward another six months, and Wolf is fresh off a Challenger title and in first place in the USTA’s US Open Wild Card Challenge (he’ll earn a main-draw wild card into the US Open if he stays on top). As the 27-year-old Ohio native trains for a triumphant return to the Cincinnati Open, where he has taken a qualifying wild card into his hometown tournament, Wolf is already feeling blessed.

“Who knows what’ll happen the rest of the year, but even just having that good week or two has been so uplifting,” he said.

Wolf, who racked up myriad milestones during a decorated college career at Ohio State University, quickly became a player to watch on tour, and he backed up the hype with a Top 40 ranking, a trip to the second week of the Australian Open (2023) and two runs to the third round at the US Open (2020, 2022).

More than two years removed from his last ATP main-draw match, Wolf is happy to have the worst behind him.

“There’s been some ups and downs, it has been a long two years,” he told Inside American Tennis.

Was there a low point after the injury, which happened on a fall during a qualifying match at the Delray Beach Open last February—a moment where he just wanted to say ‘I quit?’

“It’s hard to pin it on one time,” he said. “But I think right after I fell, when the doctor at the tournament put my shoulder back into its socket, and I asked him—obviously, there was all the adrenaline—I was like, ‘Alright, can I go back out there?’ He looked at me immediately and was just like, ‘Dude, you need surgery. You can’t use that arm.’”

He remembers another depressing day, several months after surgery.

“The first day back, trying to tap a tennis ball lightly,” he recalls. “My right arm looked like the size of my left forearm.”

Through it all, Wolf says he has been uplifted by the support of those close to him, those who helped him believe through the dark days. He thanks physiotherapist Hardik Patel, his trainer Gena Ball, his coaches Brian Garber and Justin Baker, but more importantly his close friends and family. His parents, who drove him back from Chicago after surgery when he could barely move. His sister, a former NCAA tennis player. His girlfriend, a former Division I volleyball player who underwent three ACL surgeries, also played a key role.

“That’s one of the main things that’s made me feel like it’s possible—so many people believing in me,” he said.

Even as the shoulder improved, and training became easier, there were still fears to reckon with.

“I listen to my coaches, I listen to my trainers, but mentally, when what’s happened to a part of your body is so extreme, it’s difficult,” he said. “They’re telling you, ‘Alright, we think that it’s stable enough. Go ahead and rip it.’

“That was one of the biggest things for me, even in matches. I don’t think I fully accepted using my shoulder how it should be used or how I’m capable until maybe the past three or four weeks. I was still holding back on service games and high forehands.”

After plenty of tennis (28 matches since he first took the court in Naples), Wolf has gradually become comfortable in his old skin again. The iconic slider down the T is as lethal as ever, and his heavy forehand looks menacing as well. Now that he’s back inside the Top 300 after his title in Vancouver, is he ready to continue pushing for a higher ranking this year?

“We don’t really worry about that stuff,” he said. “I’m thinking my main thing is if I’m at the right level, that’s all I’m worried about—and to keep getting better.”

With Cincinnati qualifying set to begin this week, Wolf deserves a moment to celebrate how far he has come. From outside the Top 1,000 to No. 282, from a career-threatening injury, through surgery, atrophy and doubts, he is back in Cincinnati to write another chapter of his story.

“The big thing for me is getting to see family and friends and them getting to see me, especially with them knowing how much we’ve all been through together,” he said. “Win or lose, I’m gonna be stoked with anything there.”

MASON, Ohio — Vignesh Gogineni might as well be playing in his own backyard.

Gogineni, 22, all but grew up on the courts of the sprawling Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, home to the Cincinnati Open, the annual ATP Masters 1000/WTA 1000 tour stop that each summer brings the world’s top tennis players to this airy suburb, just across I-71 from the rollercoaster-jammed Kings Island amusement park.

This is where Gogineni has spent some of the most formative moments of his tennis-playing life. A three-time first team All-Ohio selection out of William Mason High School, he grew up watching matches here, he honed his game here, he won the 2022 state singles title here. Even after going off to Yale, he would return to the facility each August to serve as a hitting partner to the pros, Carlos Alcaraz included.

“I have good memories playing on these courts,” said Gogineni, who in his senior season at Yale went 28-8 while playing No. 1 singles for the Bulldogs. “The tennis scene here in Cincinnati is definitely growing a lot. The tournament helps. You wouldn’t necessarily think Cincinnati was a place where you could have a tournament like this. It’s not Paris or New York, not even Indian Wells or Miami, but the history of this place is unbelievable. It’s been here since 1899. Tennis here has been growing ever since.”

JJ Wolf, Peyton Stearns and Caty McNally are among the ATP and WTA pros to emerge from the greater Cincinnati area.

Last month, while playing an ITF M25 event in Champaign, Ill., Gogineni got word that he was in for another big-stakes opportunity on his hometown courts: He had received a wild card for the 2026 Cincinnati Open qualifying tournament.

“It was one of the best calls that I’ve ever gotten in my live,” he said with a grin. “To be able to play on this stage in what is the best Masters 1000 event on the world, it’s a dream come true.”

The news proved a boost. Gogineni went on to reach the final in Champaign, and the following week captured his maiden pro singles title at the ITF M25 in Edwardsville, Ill., where he defeated fifth seeded countryman Ozan Baris in the final, 6-4, 6-2. In doing so, he became the first Yale alum to win a professional tennis tournament in over 40 years.

Now he’s prepping for the qualifying rounds at the Cincinnati Open, hoping to make his tour-level main-draw debut.

“I don’t know what to expect. There are a lot of nerves,” confessed Gogineni. “But I’ve done a lot of mental prep, a lot of mental work, just trying to get myself in the right head space to not be overwhelmed by who’s in the stands, how many people are there, who’s on the other side of the court. I’m just going to focus on my game and anything I can do control that to the best of my ability.”

Gogineni says he first picked up a racquet when he was 4 or 5, about the same time he began attending the Cincinnati Open.

“I played a bunch of other sports when I was younger. I played soccer, basketball, baseball, swimming. But I wanted something more individualistic, something that would bring out my personality,” he explained. “Tennis was the one that best fit me.”

After leading William Mason High School to a pair of state team titles, it didn’t take long for the Ohioan to find his footing in the Ivy League. As a sophomore at Yale, he went 20-12 in singles, the majority of his action coming at the top of the lineup. He broke his wrist in his junior year, missing almost the entire season, but it was a successful rehab stint that convinced him he could go far in this sport. He would reach the semifinals of first pro tournament, only one month after returning to the court.

“That made me realize that if I can do that coming off a wrist injury, I have a lot more potential in this sport that I first thought,” he said. “My entire senior year was just built on developing myself into a professional tennis player, getting my routines and habits down.”

What would success look like this week in Cincinnati?

“Leaving the court with no regrets,” he said. “I don’t care if I lose 1 and 0, I don’t care if I lose 7-6 in the third, as long as I know I went on the court and fought well, competed hard, and had to right attitude. That’s the most important thing regardless of the result.”

The Cincinnati Open qualifying rounds get underway on Tuesday, Aug. 11.

This past weekend, the Cincinnati Open honored the hometown boy who ventured forth from the Queen City to become king of the tennis world. Forever more, Stadium 3 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center will bear the name of the late Tony Trabert, an altogether fitting tribute to the former No. 1 who was long one of tennis’ greatest champions and grandest ambassadors.

Trabert, one of American tennis’ top stars in the 1950’s, who later distinguished himself as U.S. Davis Cup captain as well as a coach and commentator, passed away on February 3, 2021 at the age of 90. A 10-time major champion and 1970 International Tennis Hall of Fame inductee, Trabert’s impact across the sport that he so loved was unparalleled. Everything he did in every facet of his Hall-of-Fame career was done with a singular grace and class. In 1955, he was the game’s top-ranked player; and throughout his life, he was one of the game’s top-ranked gentlemen.

Trabert reached the quarterfinals of Forest Hills in 1951 before a two-year stint in the U.S. Navy took him away from the game. But upon his return in 1953, he captured half a dozen titles in the run up to his Forest Hills comeback. There, he swept to the title without losing a set, beating French Open champ Budge Patty in the quarters, Aussie Ken Rosewall in the semis and his friend and doubles partner Vic Seixas, fresh off winning Wimbledon, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 in the final.

Three months off the high seas, Trabert made Forest Hills a watershed point in his career. Achieving the promise and fulfilling the potential he’d shown two years earlier, the kid from Cincinnati was suddenly a big man in the tennis world.

“I think winning Forest Hills sort of signified that I’d arrived as a player,” said Trabert. “It was my first Grand Slam title as a singles player and as an American, there’s a special thrill about winning your national championship. You feel like, “Hey, I can play with anybody.’ Of course, that doesn’t mean you’re always going to beat them, but you feel like you belong.”

Trabert’s career would take off to even greater heights from that point, and in 1955, at the age of 25, Trabert dominated the sport of tennis in a way that few—before or since—have been able to equal. The young man with the buzzcut and the blistering backhand pounded his way to a staggering singles match record of 104-5, including 38 consecutive matches, 18 tournament titles and ten straight tournament wins. Trabert won three of the four Slams that year, the only hiccup en route to completing the Grand Slam a semifinal loss to Ken Rosewall at the Australian Open. In winning both Wimbledon and the U.S. Championships, he did not drop a set. He was, of course, the world’s No. 1-ranked player for those twelve months.

Trabert was so dominant throughout that magical year, that when he appeared in a tournament, it was virtually a given that he’d appear in the winner’s circle. Tournament promoters knew they’d have a marquee name putting fans in the seats right through the final. Indeed, a Trabert loss was so unexpected, and his personal standard so high, that when he did drop a match at the Wiesbaden, Germany event in the spring of that year, he volunteered to play an exhibition for free, as a way of apologizing to the promoter.

“I’ve been asked if I regret not having won the Grand Slam,” said Trabert. “Of course, the answer is yes. But I have no regrets about the way I played. I did my best every time I stepped on a court, from the first point to the last. My attitude was always, ‘Win fast and get off the court, because nothing bad can happen to you once you’re in the locker room.

“I never counted wins, I just wanted to win titles. I was never the most gifted guy out there, so I had to work at it and, especially in that year, the work paid off. Besides, in those days, one of the real bonuses of winning was that you’d keep getting your per diem, which meant you could eat.

Certainly, in 1955, he seldom went hungry.

Trabert turned pro in 1956 and not only played, but helped to manage, the fledgling professional tour, playing against the world’s best at stops all over the world—from San Francisco to South Africa—until 1963. But even when he gave up playing full time, he never stopped giving back full time. In 1970, he started the Tony Trabert Tennis Camp in Ojai, Calif. His talent as an instructor and keen understanding of the intricate mechanics of stroking and strategy would also serve him well in the TV booth, as he began his broadcast career with CBS in 1972.

With an economy of words, Trabert always stood out as one of the most sagacious talents in the increasingly chatty world of tennis broadcasting. He knew the game and the viewer always had a better understanding of the “how’s” and “why’s” of tennis for having watched any broadcast in which he was involved. He understood how to teach because he’d always had the desire to learn.

But for all of his singles accomplishments, Trabert was always most proud of his involvement with the U.S. Davis Cup effort. He played in every Challenge Round from 1951-55, leading the U.S. to its only seizure of the Cup from the years-long unrelenting grip of the Aussies in 1954. Trabert served as U.S. Davis Cup captain from 1976-1980, guiding the squad to two titles—in 1978 and ’79.

“My whole Davis Cup experience was great,” Trabert told me. “Representing your country is the greatest honor and opportunity you can have. Just to be out there giving your all for your team and your country and your flag. To hear the words, ‘Game, set, match, United States…’ There’s nothing else that compares to it. Beating the Aussies in ’54 was the biggest thrill in my tennis career.”

Trabert’s respect for the game and its players, his understanding of tennis’ rich history and his status as a champion in every sense of the word served him well when he served as president of the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I., from 2001-2011

“When they asked me to be president, I gulped,” admitted Trabert. “I wasn’t sure I was qualified. I said there are two things you’ve got to understand about me: I don’t have a lot of money to give you and I’m not a fundraiser. I don’t like asking people for anything. And they said I could help just by giving them authenticity as a Hall of Famer myself. I was proud to do it because my role gave me a chance to stay involved in another aspect of the game, which was very important, and to play a role in preserving tennis’ history for generations to come.”

Most certainly, Tony Trabert, who also was inducted into the US Open Court of Champions in 2014, will long be a part of that history. His love affair with the sport lasted right up until his passing.

“It may sound cliché,” Trabert told me in our last interview, “but I don’t know where I’d be without having played tennis. I’d like to think that I’d have figured something out, but I can’t imagine anything that would have taken me where I’ve been.

“The game’s been good to me. I haven’t made a fortune out of it, but I made a decent living, traveled the world and met all kinds of people. I’ve gotten an education that you don’t get out of books. I’ve played, by my best count, in 57 countries. For a guy from a lower middle class family on a dead end street in Cincinnati, Ohio, it’s been a pretty amazing ride.”

And now it’s a ride that will be honored—and long remembered—by all of those who walk through the gates of the Tony Trabert Court at the Cincinnati Open.

While Americans continue pushing through the ATP and WTA 1000 events in Canada, many American pros are notching significant wins at home and abroad.

In Kentucky, Andre Ilagan reached the singles and doubles final at the ATP Challenger, and his doubles partner was compatriot Karl Poling. At the WTA 125 event in Poland, Carol Young Suh Lee clocked the biggest win of her singles career, with a championship victory in straight sets. Alana Smith also hit a career milestone at the same tournament, clinching her maiden WTA 125 doubles title. What’s more, that victory has propelled Smith into the doubles Top 100 for the first time.

On the Men’s World Tennis Tour, Nicholas Godsick picked up his first pro title in doubles at the M25 in Roehampton. A Stanford student-athlete and 2022 USTA Boys’ 18s champion, Godsick lifted the trophy alongside Sebastian Dominkop of Slovenia. The pair’s win came on the heels of their first M25 final appearance in Aldershot last week.

In wheelchair tennis, Charlie Cooper and Conner Stroud swept the men’s singles and doubles events at the WC50 in Oregon. The pair claimed the doubles win together, while Stroud took home the singles championship over Cooper.

Keep reading for a full list of results from this past week, and stay tuned for all the excitement in Cincinnati as players prepare for the ultimate hard court tournament in Flushing Meadows.

Editor’s Note: A tech glitch is preventing the Inside American Tennis team from embedding social posts. After much troubleshooting, we've reached a break(ing) point. Circle back for "Winner of the Week" and "Off-court Antics" once the glitch resolves.

Quote of the week
“I think Wimbledon was a big stride for my career. So, hopefully I can continue that momentum. And especially on a surface I’m more comfortable with. I think it’s just reassuring myself that I belong where I am, and I’m nowhere near my peak yet, so just trying to do everything possible to reach that.” – Coco Gauff after her third-round win against Maria Sakkari in Toronto.

NOTABLE RESULTS

MEN

ATP Challenger (Lexington, Ky.)

Singles
Andre Ilagan - Finalist

Doubles
Andre Ilagan / Karl Poling - Finalists

Men’s World Tennis Tour M25 (Tauste, Spain)

Doubles
Jeffrey Fradkin / Tristan McCormick - Finalists

Men’s World Tennis Tour M25 (Roehampton, Great Britain)

Doubles
Nicholas Godsick - Champion

USTA Pro Circuit M25 (Southhaven, Miss.)

Singles
Evan Zhu - Finalist

Doubles
Kelly Giese / Sam Landau - Champions
Maxwell Exsted / Cooper Woestendick - Finalists

Pacific Northwest Sectional Wheelchair Tennis Championship - WC50 (Salem, Ore.)

Singles
Conner Stroud - Champion
Charlie Cooper - Finalist

Doubles
Conner Stroud / Charlie Cooper - Champions

WOMEN

Warsaw T-Mobile Polish Open - WTA 125 (Warsaw, Poland)

Singles
Carol Young Suh Lee - Champion

Doubles
Alana Smith - Champion

USTA Pro Circuit W100 (Landisville, Pa.)

Doubles
Savannah Broadus / Kylie Collins - Finalists

Women’s World Tennis Tour W75 (Koksijde, Belgium)

Doubles
Julia Adams - Finalist

Women’s World Tennis Tour W75 (Leipzig, Germany)

Doubles
Rasheeda McAdoo - Finalist

USTA Pro Circuit W35 (Southhaven, Miss.)

Singles
Annika Penickova - Finalist

Women’s World Tennis Tour W15 (Kursumlijska Banja, Serbia)

Doubles
Mia Horvit - Finalist

WHAT TO WATCH

MEN

National Bank Open presented by Rogers (Montreal, Canada) - ATP 1000

Singles
Ben Shelton (5)
Learner Tien (12)
Brandon Nakashima (28)

Cincinnati Open (Cincinnati, Ohio) - ATP 1000*

Singles
Taylor Fritz
Ben Shelton
Learner Tien
Frances Tiafoe
Tommy Paul
Brandon Nakashima
Alex Michelsen
Jenson Brooksby
Zachary Svajda
Aleksandar Kovacevic

Qualifying Singles
Marcos Giron
Martin Damm
Michael Zheng
Mackenzie McDonald
JJ Wolf
Vignesh Gogineni
Darwin Blanch

Doubles
Christian Harrison
JJ Tracy
Austin Krajicek
Rajeev Ram
Learner Tien

ATP Challenger (Brownsburg, Ind.)

Singles
Michael Mmoh (8)
Colton Smith
Andre Ilagan
Andres Martin
Tyler Zink
Daniel Milavsky
Stefan Kozlov

Qualifying Singles
Tristan Boyer (1)
Garrett Johns (5)
Andrew Fenty (7)
Quinn Vandecasteele (9)
Gavin Young (10)
Aidan Kim (11)
Aidan Mayo (12)
Evan King

Doubles
Rajeev Ram (1)
Robert Cash (2)
Evan King / Reese Stalder (3)
Nathaniel Lammons / Jackson Withrow
Michael Andre / Sam Landau
Benjamin Kittay
Trey Hilderbrand
Boris Kozlov / Stefan Kozlov
Daniel Milavsky

WOMEN

National Bank Open presented by Rogers (Toronto, Canada) - WTA 1000

Singles
Coco Gauff (4)

Doubles
Nicole Melichar-Martinez (3)
Desirae Krawczyk

Cincinnati Open (Cincinnati, Ohio) - WTA 1000*

Singles
Coco Gauff
Jessica Pegula
Amanda Anisimova
Iva Jovic
Madison Keys
Emma Navarro
Ann Li
McCartney Kessler
Peyton Stearns
Ashlyn Krueger
Caty McNally
Alycia Parks
Caroline Dolehide
Elvina Kalieva
Taylor Townsend
Sloane Stephens
Venus Williams

Qualifying Singles
Katie Volynets
Claire Liu
Sofia Kenin
Mary Stoiana
Kayla Day
Akasha Urhobo
Carol Young Suh Lee
Robin Montgomery

Doubles
Taylor Townsend
Nicole Melichar-Martinez
Quinn Gleason
Asia Muhammad
Desirae Krawczyk
Venus Williams / Serena Williams

*Based on the published participants listed here on Aug. 10.

There are also 21 events on the World Tennis Tour and USTA Pro Circuit taking place across the globe this week, with American players competing for valuable ranking points and prize money. Watch these rising stars in action on World Tennis’ live stream

Two of these tournaments are on hard courts and meet the qualifications to help American athletes in the US Open Wild Card Challenge, which awards an American man and woman a main-draw singles wild card to the players who earn the most ranking points at four hard-court tournaments during a five-week window for men and three hard-court tournaments during a four-week window for women. All indoor and outdoor hard-court events at the W35 level and above for the women and the M25 level and above for the men, including WTA and ATP Tour events, will be included in the Challenge. To watch these rising stars in action, click here.

As a junior, Elvina Kalieva had an impressive showing. She hit a career-high junior ranking of No. 9, and reached the US Open girls’ doubles final in 2021 with compatriot Reese Brantmeier. At the pro-level, the 23-year-old has accumulated three singles titles and four doubles titles on the World Tennis Tour. Last week, at the Memphis Tennis Classic, Kalieva defeated two seeded players to reach the semifinals—her best showing at a tour-level event yet—which pushed her to the top of the US Open Wild Card Challenge in week three.

The world No. 121 caught up with Inside American Tennis earlier this year at the Miami Open, where she made it through qualifying and the first round, marking her first WTA main draw win. The Florida local revealed her passion for shopping, favorite music, must-have travel companion and more.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: You’ve been having so much success on hard courts so far this year. What lessons have you been taking away from those victories?

I mean, every match that I’ve lost this year, I pretty much almost had match point in every one of them. So, there’s only positives to take from. That means I’m playing the right tennis and I’m doing the right thing.

Q: Who would be your ideal celebrity doubles partner?

I used to have a crush on Shawn Mendes…that would be unreal.

Q: Do you have a go-to coffee order?

I don’t like coffee, but I like tea. In the morning I drink black tea, afternoon green, and night green tea.

Q: Let’s say you’re in the checkout line at the grocery store or bodega, what snack are you grabbing on the way out?

Chocolate.

Q: Any specific kind?

Mostly M&M’S, Snickers, Bounty, Mars, but really anything. You name it.

Q: What favorite song or artist do you have on repeat?

I like house music. Adam Port, the DJ.

Q: What do you like about his music?

It just gets me going with my matches and puts me in the mood.

Q: Do you have a favorite city on tour?

Miami. Even though it’s only my second time here. Maybe because it’s close to home. Oh, and Palm Springs.

Q: If you were making a charm bracelet, what three charm icons would you pick out?

A shopping bag, I love shopping. And then a tennis racquet and maybe a DJ charm.

Q: What do you like shopping for? What’s in your cart?

Everything. I love clothes, shoes and jewelry. I go to the mall way too much.

Q: Do you have a bigger purchase in mind for after a big win?

So there’s a Chanel bag, it’s a new one. I don’t know if it’s out yet, but it’s burgundy.

Q: Do you check the draw immediately, or wait to see who you play?

No, I never look at the draw.

Q: Do you have any pre-match superstitions?

I’m the least superstitious person ever. I don’t care about any of that stuff.

Q: What have you been watching on TV recently?

I’ve been trying to get into watching something. I finished “His & Hers,” and that was really good. I love romance movies and TV shows.

Q: What are you never traveling without?

My stuffed animal. I have a little donkey.

Q: Does it have a name?

…Donkey (laughing).

Haley Fuller contributed reporting.

The journey across the North American hard courts is officially in full swing, and the Americans have already started lifting trophies on home soil. Taylor Fritz won the title in Washington, D.C., claiming his first title of the year. Jessica Pegula also triumphed in the nation’s capital, finishing as the runner-up in the women’s draw. Further south, world No. 121 Elvina Kalieva had her best showing yet at a tour-level event, defeating two seeded players to reach the semifinals. Down in Los Cabos, Mexico, Ryan Seggerman and Patrik Trhac won the ATP 250—their first tour-level title.

In Vancouver, Canada, J.J. Wolf claimed the singles crown at the ATP Challenger—his first Challenger title since 2021—which also featured an all-American men’s doubles final, with Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow besting Daniel Milavsky and Braden Shick. At the joint WTA 125 tournament, Caroline Dolehide lifted the women’s doubles trophy alongside Alexandra Vagramov, while Anna Rogers and Allura Zamarripa finished as the finalists.

Meanwhile, on the USTA Pro Circuit, Annika Penickova swept the titles at the W35 in Florence, S.C., defeating Piper Charney in the singles final and winning the doubles crown alongside her sister, Kristina. At the M25 in Edwardsville, Ill., Vignesh Gogineni lifted the men’s singles trophy after besting Ozan Baris, who was on a nine-match winning streak. In another all-American doubles final, Maxwell Exsted and Cooper Woestendick defeated Jack Anthrop and Noah Zamora.

There’s a lot more great tennis to look forward to this week, with action beginning at the National Bank Open, an ATP Masters 1000/WTA 1000 in Montreal and Toronto. Stay tuned, because the world’s top players are testing and honing their hard-court games ahead of the US Open.

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Winner of the week

Quote of the week
“I think in tennis you’re learning something about yourself every day. It just doesn’t end. It’s such a beautiful and sometimes painful discovery, and I look forward to every day of it.” —Venus Williams, reflecting on her comeback after a year back on tour.

Off-court antics of the week

Photo of the week

NOTABLE RESULTS

MEN

Mubadala DC Open - ATP 500 (Washington, D.C.)

Singles
Taylor Fritz - Champion
Brandon Nakashima - Semifinalist

Doubles
Austin Krajicek - Finalist

Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo - ATP 250 (Los Cabos, Mexico)

Doubles
Ryan Seggerman / Patrik Trhac - Champions

ATP Challenger (Vancouver, Canada)

Singles
J.J. Wolf - Champion

Doubles
Nathaniel Lammons / Jackson Withrow - Champions
Daniel Milavsky / Braden Shick - Finalists

ATP Challenger (Samsun, Turkiye)

Doubles
Christopher Papa - Champion

USTA Pro Circuit M25 (Edwardsville, Ill.)

Singles
Vignesh Gogineni - Champion
Ozan Baris - Finalist

Doubles
Maxwell Exsted / Cooper Woestendick - Champions
Jack Anthrop / Noah Zamora - Finalists

Men’s World Tennis Tour M25 (Aldershot, Great Britain)

Doubles
Nicholas Godsick - Finalist

Men’s World Tennis Tour M15 (Huamantla, Mexico)

Singles
Elijah Strode - Champion

Doubles
Elijah Strode - Champion

WOMEN

Mubadala DC Open - WTA 500 (Washington, D.C.)

Singles
Jessica Pegula - Finalist

The Memphis Classic - WTA 250 (Memphis, Tenn.)

Singles
Elvina Kalieva - Semifinalist

Odlum Brown VanOpen - WTA 125 (Vancouver, Canada)

Doubles
Caroline Dolehide - Champion
Anna Rogers / Allura Zamarripa - Finalists

USTA Pro Circuit W75 (Lexington, Ky.)

Singles
Ayana Akli - Finalist

Doubles
Ayana Akli / Fiona Crawley - Champions
Savannah Broadus / Kylie Collins - Finalists

Women’s World Tennis Tour W50 (Knokke-Heist, Belgium)

Doubles
Julia Adams - Champion

USTA Pro Circuit W35 (Florence, S.C.)

Singles
Annika Penickova - Champion
Piper Charney - Finalist

Doubles
Annika Penickova / Kristina Penickova - Champions
Alyssa Ahn - Finalist

Women’s World Tennis Tour W15 (Rogaska Slatina, Slovakia)

Doubles
Megan Heuser - Finalist

Women’s World Tennis Tour W15 (Huamantla, Mexico)

Doubles
Isabella Foshee - Champion
Camille Allegre / Olivia Allegre - Finalists

WHAT TO WATCH

MEN

National Bank Open presented by Rogers (Toronto, Canada) - ATP 1000

Singles
Ben Shelton (5)
Taylor Fritz (7)
Learner Tien (12)
Frances Tiafoe (15)
Tommy Paul (17)
Brandon Nakashima (28)
Alex Michelsen
Marcos Giron
Martin Damm
Jenson Brooksby
Zachary Svajda
Aleksandar Kovacevic
Michael Zheng

ATP Challenger (Lexington, Ky.)

Singles
Colton Smith
Andre Ilagan
Sebastian Gorzny
Michael Mmoh
Ozan Baris
Tristan Boyer

Doubles
Joshua Sheehy
George Goldhoff / Trey Hilderbrand
Reese Stalder
Eli Stephenson
Benjamin Kittay

WOMEN

National Bank Open presented by Rogers (Toronto, Canada) - WTA 1000

Singles
Jessica Pegula (3)
Coco Gauff (4)
Amanda Anisimova (8)
Iva Jovic (13)
Madison Keys (19)
Emma Navarro (23)
Ann Li (28)
Peyton Stearns
McCartney Kessler
Caty McNally
Alycia Parks
Taylor Townsend
Sloane Stephens
Kayla Day

Warsaw T-Mobile Polish Open - WTA 125 (Warsaw, Poland)

Singles
Carol Young Suh Lee

Doubles
Alana Smith

WATCH

There are also 24 events on the World Tennis Tour and USTA Pro Circuit taking place across the globe this week, with American players competing for valuable ranking points and prize money. Watch these rising stars in action on World Tennis’ live stream.

Seven of those tournaments are on hard courts, giving American athletes an opportunity to earn points in the US Open Wild Card Challenge, which awards an American man and woman a main-draw singles wild card to the players who earn the most ranking points at four hard-court tournaments during a five-week window for men and three hard-court tournaments during a four-week window for women. All indoor and outdoor hard-court events at the W35 level and above for the women and the M25 level and above for the men, including WTA and ATP Tour events, will be included in the Challenge. To watch these rising stars in action, click here.

Southern Californian Keaton Hance has had an elite junior career, reaching No. 3 in the singles rankings and playing the boys’ final at this year’s Australian Open. The 18-year-old also won the boys’ doubles title in Flushing Meadows last year, alongside good friend and compatriot Jack Kennedy.

At the pro level, the Torrance native claimed his first trophy this April at the USTA Pro Circuit M15 in Orlando, Fla.

Hance talked to Inside American Tennis earlier this year in Paris, where he reached the semifinals in boys’ singles and doubles (again with Kennedy) on the fabled clay of Roland Garros, about his superstitions, his favorite band, his first US Open memory and more.

Read more on Hance and Kennedy’s US Open triumph in Kennedy’s “My first US Open” feature on usopen.org.

Q: What was your first big memory of the US Open, either as a player or as a fan?

My older sister Kimmi, she actually played qualies in juniors at the Open, and I was super young. I didn’t really know what was going on, but I went and I was able to walk on the grounds, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I never imagined that I would be playing on those courts. It was just such a cool experience. I’d never been to any Grand Slam before.

Q: One word to describe the US Open?

Magical.

Q: Three words to describe what you’re bringing to the tour this year?

I’d say physicality, energy and hard work.

Q: What’s one thing about tour life that is way less glamorous than people think?

I think traveling for long periods of time, being away from home for a really long time, missing your family and missing your pets. I have a couple dogs back home and I miss them so much. Haven’t seen them in, like, over two months. It can get pretty lonely, depending on who you’re traveling with and if you have any friends with you.

Q: What is your favorite city on tour?

I mean, Paris is unbelievable. I’ve only been here a few times. It’s so beautiful, and there’s so much history. I think I’d have to say here.

Q: What is your favorite breakfast item here?

I’d say a croissant. A chocolate croissant.

Q: Are you a beach guy or a museum guy if you’re on vacation?

It’s tough because I live in Redondo Beach, so I’m pretty used to having a beach. I’ve been blessed enough to have that in my backyard when I’m home.

I guess I’d have to say museum because I don’t have that near me and that’s something that would be new for me.

Q: What’s on your streaming queue?

I like a show called Brooklyn Nine-Nine. I’ve been watching it for a while.

Q: Back to the tennis, what’s your favorite surface to play on?

Red clay, 100%. No doubt. It’s always been that way.

Q: Is there a piece of advice you’d give to your younger self?

I’d probably just say be patient. It’s really important to have that mindset of seeing a bigger picture when you’re young, and not feeling like you’re falling behind, or not feeling rushed to do such big things—because as long as you’re putting hard work and having the dedication, it’ll come at some point. But yeah, it’s tough. It feels like sometimes it won’t come, but it always ends up coming, and it’s hard to see that when you’re younger.

Q: What shot would you steal from any top pro right now?

Oh, my goodness. Maybe Jannik Sinner’s backhand.

Q: What’s your racquet and string set-up at the moment?

I play with the Babolat Pure Aero 100. I use RPM Blast. The tension kind of depends on where I am, and at what altitude. My go-to is like 48 pounds when it’s just like normal weather and no altitude.

Q: Favorite tournament?

The Australian Open was obviously insane. They treat the players so, so well. It was a really, really great experience being there this year.

Q: Any pre-match superstitions?

Oh, my God, yeah. There’s a lot. I mean, going into a tournament, if I win my first round, every day becomes the exact same. Everything I do has to be the exact same. Every dinner is usually the same. All of my racquets have to be facing the same way in my bag.

There’s so many. I don’t re-grip my racquets for the whole tournament, unless it’s unbearable to play with, I’ll re-grip.

I have to listen to the same song too every time I walk on as well.

Q: Who’s the top music artist on your playlist right now?

I’m a rock guy. I like the band Tool. That’s kind of been my go-to for like over six months now.

While many pros prepared for this week’s DC Open, Americans still made waves across Challengers, WTA 125 tournaments, the World Tennis Tour and USTA Pro Circuit.

At the Cranbrook Tennis Classic in Michigan, top-seeded Americans won both men’s singles and doubles events: Alex Michelsen picked up his fourth ATP Challenger title in singles, while JJ Tracy and Trey Hilderbrand snagged their first Challenger victory as a doubles team. In Winnipeg, the ATP Challenger found two American doubles teams in the final, with Daniel Milavsky and Braden Shick prevailing over Joshua Sheehy and Tyler Zink in a tiebreak. Speaking of doubles, Rasheeda McAdoo made it to the WTA 125 doubles final in Palermo, Italy.

Across the World Tennis Tour and USTA Pro Circuit, 14 Americans lifted championship trophies in singles and doubles. At the W100 in Indiana, Caroline Dolehide claimed her biggest career title yet, and has a chance of nabbing a spot in the US Open main draw through the US Open Wild Card Challenge.

Also on home soil, an all-American singles final in Sante Fe, N.M., ended with Malaika Rapolu claiming the title against compatriot Hina Inoue; and sister superstars Annika Penickova and Kristina Penickova won the W35 doubles final. In Illinois, Evan Bynoe notched a singles title, while Tyler Bowers and Nikita Filin won an all-American doubles final against Vignesh Gogineni and Billy Suarez.

At the M15/W15 in Mexico, Matthew Thomson won in singles and Elijah Strode won in doubles, while Camille Allegre and Olivia Allegre claimed the doubles title against compatriot Jayna Clemens. In Canada, Alyssa Ahn and Kaya Moe notched a doubles championship at the W35.

For a full list of last week’s champions and finalists, continue scrolling.

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Winner of the week

Quote of the week
“Just a Midwest girl with a Midwest title” - Caroline Dolehide on Instagram after winning a USTA Pro Circuit W1000 title in Evansville, Ind.

Off-court antics of the week

NOTABLE RESULTS

MEN

ATP Challenger (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.)

Singles
Alex Michelsen - Champion

Doubles
Trey Hilderbrand / JJ Tracy - Champions

ATP Challenger (Winnipeg, Canada)

Doubles
Daniel Milavsky / Braden Shick - Champions
Joshua Sheehy / Tyler Zink - Finalists

Men’s World Tennis Tour M25 (Bacau, Romania)

Doubles
Kabeer Kapasi / Petro Kuzmenok - Finalists

USTA Pro Circuit M25 (Champaign, Ill.)

Singles
Evan Bynoe - Champion

Doubles
Tyler Bowers / Nikita Filin - Champions
Vignesh Gogineni / Billy Suarez - Finalists

Men’s World Tennis Tour M15 (Huamantla, Mexico)

Singles
Matthew Thomson - Champion

Doubles
Elijah Strode - Champion

Men’s World Tennis Tour M15 (Bali, Indonesia)

Doubles
Alexander Chang - Champion

WOMEN

37° Palermo Ladies Open - WTA 125 (Palermo, Italy)

Doubles
Rasheeda McAdoo - Finalist

Women’s World Tennis Tour W100 (Amstetten, Austria)

Singles
Vivian Wolff - Finalist

USTA Pro Circuit W100 (Evansville, Ind.)

Singles
Caroline Dolehide - Champion

Doubles
Anna Rogers - Finalist

Women’s World Tennis Tour W75 (Vacaria, Brazil)

Doubles
Isabella Barrera Aguirre - Finalist

Women’s World Tennis Tour W35 (Saskatoon, Canada)

Doubles
Alyssa Ahn / Kaya Moe - Champions

USTA Pro Circuit W35 (Santa Fe, N.M.)

Singles
Malaika Rapolu - Champion
Hina Inoue - Finalist

Doubles
Annika Penickova / Kristina Penickova - Champions

Women’s World Tennis Tour W15 (Huamantla, Mexico)

Doubles
Camille Allegre / Olivia Allegre - Champions
Jayna Clemens - Finalist

WHAT TO WATCH

MEN

Mubadala DC Open - ATP 500 (Washington, D.C.)

Singles
Ben Shelton (2)
Taylor Fritz (3)
Learner Tien (5)
Frances Tiafoe (6)
Tommy Paul
Brandon Nakashima
Alex Michelsen
Zachary Svajda
Marcos Giron
Martin Damm
Andres Martin
Trevor Svajda

Doubles
Christian Harrison (2)
JJ Tracy
Robert Cash
Austin Krajicek
Ben Shelton
Brandon Nakashima
Frances Tiafoe

Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo - ATP 250 (Los Cabos, Mexico)

Singles
Jenson Brooksby
Aleksandar Kovacevic
Michael Zheng
Tristan Boyer
Darwin Blanch
Aidan Mayo

Doubles
Rajeev Ram (1)
Robert Galloway / Evan King (3)
Theodore Winegar (4)
Ryan Seggerman / Patrik Trhac
Benjamin Kittay
Reese Stalder
Tristan Boyer

WOMEN

Mubadala DC Open - WTA 500 (Washington, D.C.)

Singles
Jessica Pegula (1)
Madison Keys (6)
Emma Navarro (8)
Ann Li
Ashlyn Krueger
Sofia Kenin
Julieta Pareja
Venus Williams

Doubles
Nicole Melichar-Martinez (1)
Quinn Gleason
Sofia Kenin
Clervie Ngounoue / Alana Smith
Venus Williams
Ann Li
Carolyn Ansari / Lea Ma

The Memphis Classic - WTA 250 (Memphis, Tenn.)

Singles
McCartney Kessler (2)
Caty McNally (6)
Peyton Stearns (7)
Katie Volynets
Mary Stoiana
Elvina Kalieva
Whitney Osuigwe
Sloane Stephens
Reese Brantmeier

Doubles
Desirae Krawczyk (1)
Peyton Stearns
Carmen Corley / Ivana Corley
Catherine Harrison
Whitney Osuigwe
Anna Frey / Sloane Stephens

There are also five more ATP Challenger events and 32 events on the World Tennis Tour and USTA Pro Circuit taking place across the globe this week, with many more American players competing for valuable ranking points and prize money. Watch these rising stars in action on World Tennis’ live stream.

It was a quieter week on the professional tour this week as several top players took time to transition and get in a solid training block ahead of the North American hard-court swing, or celebrate the nuptials of fellow tennis players—Congratulations to Tommy Paul and wife Paige Paul (née Lorenze), and Asia Muhammad and James Cross!—but Americans still claimed plenty of hardware.

Michael Antonius, at 16 years and 199 days old, lifted the singles trophy at the M15 in Rochester, N.Y. to become the youngest American player to win multiple World Tennis Tour men’s singles titles, and the first to do so before turning 17 since records began in 1990. He defeated compatriot Tristan McCormick in the final, and fellow Americans Andrew Delgado claimed the doubles title, while the all-American duo of Alexander Bernard and Ilija Palavestra were the finalists.

Staying stateside, Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow won the men’s doubles title at the ATP Challenger in Lincoln, Nebraska, beating George Goldhoff in the final, while at the M25 in Louisville, K.Y., Ozan Baris and the pair of J Mercer and Eli Stephenson lifted trophies in singles and doubles, respectively.

At the W75 in Granby, Canada, Kylie Collins and Olivia Lincer won the doubles title, defeating Anna Rogers, while at the W35 in Dallas, Hanna Chang won the singles trophy and Sophie Llewellyn was a doubles finalist.

The UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour remained in Europe, and young American Charlie Cooper swept the men’s singles and doubles titles at the WC100 in Leuven, Belgium, while in Geneva, Switzerland, Casey Ratzlaff was a men’s doubles finalist.

The qualifying draw for the Mubadala DC Open kicks off on Saturday, so the ATP and WTA Tours are about to take over North America for the next eight weeks, so stay tuned to Inside American Tennis for updates on the all the excitement.

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Winner of the week

Quote of the week
“Amazing being back home and time for some rest” —16-year-old American Michael Antonius after securing his second pro title at the M15 event in Rochester, N.Y.

Off-court antics of the week

Photo of the week

NOTABLE RESULTS

MEN

EFG Swiss Open Gstaad - ATP 250 (Gstaad, Switzerland)

Doubles
Robert Galloway - Finalist
Ryan Seggerman - Semifinalist

Nordea Open - ATP 250 (Bastad, Sweden)

Doubles
Vasil Kirkov - Semifinalist
Theodore Winegar - Semifinalist

ATP Challenger (Lincoln, Neb.)

Doubles
Nathaniel Lammons / Jackson Withrow - Champions
George Goldhoff - Finalist

ATP Challenger (Granby, Canada)

Doubles
Matt Kuhar - Finalist

USTA Pro Circuit M25 (Louisville, Ky.)

Singles
Ozan Baris - Champion

Doubles
J Mercer / Eli Stephenson - Champions
Vignesh Gogineni - Finalist

USTA Pro Circuit M15 (Rochester, N.Y.)

Singles
Michael Antonius - Champion
Tristan McCormick - Finalist

Doubles
Andrew Delgado - Champion
Alexander Bernard / Ilija Palavestra - Finalists

Flanders 25 - WC100 (Leuven, Belgium)

Singles
Charlie Cooper - Finalist

Doubles
Charlie Cooper - Finalist

ITF Futures Swiss Open - WC50 (Geneva, Switzerland)

Doubles
Casey Ratzlaff - Finalist

WOMEN

Women’s World Tennis Tour W75 (Granby, Canada)

Doubles
Kylie Collins / Olivia Lincer - Champions
Anna Rogers - Finalist

USTA Pro Circuit W35 (Dallas, Texas)

Singles
Hanna Chang - Champion

Doubles
Sophie Llewellyn - Finalist

WHAT TO WATCH

MEN

Generali Open - ATP 250 (Kitzbuhel, Austria)

Doubles
Theodore Winegar
Patrik Trhac
Ryan Seggerman

Millennium Estoril Open - ATP 250 (Estoril, Portugal)

Doubles
Patrik Trhac
Vasil Kirkov
Benjamin Kittay

ATP Challenger (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.)

Singles
Alex Michelsen
Michael Zheng
Tristan Boyer
Colton Smith
Darwin Blanch
Andres Martin
Spencer Johnson
J.J. Wolf

Doubles
Trey Hilderbrand / JJ Tracy
Evan King
Nathaniel Lammons / Jackson Withrow
Karl Poling
Owen Demuth / Andres Martin
Matt Kuhar / Evan Zhu

WOMEN

Livesport Prague Open - WTA 250 (Prague, Czech Republic)

Singles
Carol Young Suh Lee

Doubles
Carmen Corley / Catherine Harrison
Alana Smith

37° Palermo Ladies Open - WTA 125 (Palermo, Italy)

Doubles
Rasheeda Mcadoo

There are also four more ATP Challenger events and 27 events on the World Tennis Tour and USTA Pro Circuit taking place across the globe this week, with many more American players competing for valuable ranking points and prize money. Watch these rising stars in action on World Tennis’ live stream.

The end of the grass-court swing at Wimbledon left many Americans hungry for the hard courts. No. 7-seed Coco Gauff was the American who made it furthest in singles, falling to Czech Karolina Muchova in a hard-fought semifinal. However, the grass courts sprouted an impressive showing from a promising American junior. Sixteen-year-old Jordan Lee made the absolute most of his first Grand Slam appearance, bursting through qualifying to lift the Wimbledon boys’ singles trophy on Sunday as the youngest player in the draw. Lee became the 13th American player to claim the Wimbledon boys’ singles title, and the first since Samir Banerjee in 2021.

At the WTA 125 event in Newport, R.I., Katie Volynets reached the final in singles and took home the doubles trophy against compatriots Savannah Broadus and Kylie Collins. On the Men’s and Women’s World Tennis Tour (formerly the ITF World Tennis Tour), nine Americans came away with Ws. Notably, Southern Methodist University’s Trevor Svajda notched his fourth Pro Circuit title at the M25 hard-court competition in his college town of Dallas. He prevailed in an all-American final against Aidan Kim.

Winner of the week

Quote of the week

“[Lamine Yamal] is one of my favorite players. I think I got the cut before he got the cut, so... Yeah, I mean, who knows. Maybe he saw one post and he copied me (smiling). He’s, to be honest, an inspiration to me. The guy’s incredible at what he does. He’s young, as well. I kind of look up to him in a way.” — Jordan Lee on having a similar haircut to Spanish soccer player Lamine Yamal.

Photo of the week

Off-court antics of the week

NOTABLE RESULTS

MEN

Wimbledon (London, Great Britain)

Singles
Taylor Fritz (6) - Quarterfinalist

Doubles
Aleksandar Kovacevic - Semifinalist
Austin Krajicek (14) - Quarterfinalist

Mixed Doubles
Christian Harrison (3) - Semifinalist

Men’s Wheelchair Singles and Doubles
Casey Ratzlaff - Quarterfinalist

Boys’ Singles
Jordan Lee - Champion
Jack Secord - Quarterfinalist

Boys’ Doubles
Michael Antonius / Andrew Johnson (2) - Finalists

USTA Pro Circuit M25 (Dallas)

Singles
Trevor Svajda - Champion
Aidan Kim - Finalist

Doubles
William Manning - Champion
Nathan Cox - Finalist

USTA Pro Circuit M15 (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.)

Singles
Spencer Johnson - Champion
Noah Zamora - Finalist

Doubles
Alexander Chang - Champion
James Weber / Noah Johnston - Finalists

Boys’ 16-18 USTA National Clay Court Championships

Singles - Boys’ 16
Gurbaaz Narang - Champion
Singles - Boys’ 18
Tristan Stratton - Champion

WOMEN

Wimbledon (London, Great Britain)

Singles
Coco Gauff (7) - Semifinalist
Jessica Pegula (4) - Quarterfinalist

Doubles
Taylor Townsend (1) - Quarterfinalist

Mixed Doubles
Desirae Krawczyk (6) - Quarterfinalist

Girls’ Singles
Janae Preston - Semifinalist

Girls’ Doubles
Thea Frodin (7) - Quarterfinalist
Jordyn Hazelitt / Welles Newman - Quarterfinalists

Girls’ 14 & Under Singles
Isha Manchala - Champion

Cerity Partners Hall of Fame Open for the Van Alen Cup presented by the Margaret Fund (Newport, R.I.) – WTA 125

Singles
Katie Volynets (3) - Finalist

Doubles
Katie Volynets - Champion
Savannah Broadus / Kylie Collins - Finalists

World Tennis Tour W100 (Aschaffenburg, Germany)

Doubles
Rasheeda McAdoo - Champion

World Tennis Tour W50 (Corroios-Seixal, Portugal)

Singles
Carol Young Suh Lee - Champion

USTA Pro Circuit W50 (Columbus, Ohio)

Singles
Julieta Pareja - Champion

Doubles
Ayana Akli - Champion
Ava Hrastar / Victoria Mulville - Finalists

World Tennis Tour W15 (Monastir, Tunisia)

Singles
Sofia Camila Rojas - Finalist

USTA Pro Circuit W15 (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.)

Doubles
Jessica Bernales / Sophia Webster - Finalists

Girls’ 16-18 USTA National Clay Court Championships

Singles - Girls’ 16s
Nikol Davletshina - Champion

Singles - Girls’ 18s
Addison Lindsay - Champion

WHAT TO WATCH

MEN

Nordea Open - ATP 250 (Bastad, Sweden)

Doubles
Vasil Kirkov
Theodore Winegar
Mac Kiger / Reese Stalder

EFG Swiss Open Gstaad - ATP 250 (Gstaad, Switzerland)

Doubles
Robert Galloway
Ryan Seggerman

Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag - ATP 250 (Umag, Croatia)

Doubles
Patrik Trhac (4)
Benjamin Kittay

ATP Challenger (Lincoln, Nebraska)

Main Draw Singles
Colton Smith (6)
Darwin Blanch
Andre Ilagan
Mitchell Krueger
Jack Kennedy
Andrew Fenty
Trevor Svajda
Spencer Johnson
JJ Wolf
Matthew Forbes
Sebastian Gorzny

Qualifying Singles
Christian Langmo (5)
Joshua Sheehy (12)
Evan Zhu
Keshav Chopra

Doubles
George Goldhoff (1)
Nathaniel Lammons / Jackson Withrow (2)
Trey Hilderbrand / Mitchell Krueger
Joshua Sheehy
Alafia Ayeni / Keshav Chopra
Zachary Fuchs / Wally Thayne
Quinn Vandecasteele
Kelly Giese
Henry Bilicic

WOMEN

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Athens Open - WTA 250 (Athens, Greece)

Singles
Ann Li (2)
Alycia Parks

Doubles
Carmen Corley
Rasheeda McAdoo / Alana Smith
Catherine Harrison

UniCredit Iasi Open - WTA 250 (Iasi, Romania)

Singles
Claire Liu

There are also five ATP Challenger events, three WTA 125 tournaments and 31 World Tennis Tour and USTA Pro Circuit events taking place across the globe this week, with many more American players competing for valuable ranking points and prize money. Watch these rising stars in action on World Tennis’ live stream.

By Arthur Kapetanakis & Douglas Robson

In his very first junior Grand Slam appearance, 16-year-old Jordan Lee completed an inspiring run from qualifying to win the Wimbledon boys’ singles title on Sunday. The American capped his dream week with a 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 victory against Cruz Hewitt, the son of former Wimbledon champion and world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt.

“Standing here with the trophy means a lot,” said Lee, who trains at the USTA National Campus in his hometown of Orlando, Fla. “Very few people know what I have been through this past year and a half, dealing with a lot of injuries. A year ago I was sitting on the couch at home and didn’t know if I was going to play tennis again, so I am really happy to be here.”

Lee is the 13th American player to win the Wimbledon boys’ singles title, and the first since Samir Banerjee in 2021. He is also the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam boys’ singles title since countryman Noah Rubin in 2014, also at Wimbledon.

This was not Lee’s first deep run at the All England Club: He reached the final of the Wimbledon 14-and-under event two years ago.

Ahead of Sunday’s final, “Inside American Tennis” caught up with the junior for 15 rapid-fire questions about his life on and off the court.

Q: What’s in your TV streaming queue?

Prison Break always, and I’m a big football fan—not American football, soccer fan. So Neymar, The Last Dance, Ronaldinho’s documentary and the Vinicius Jr. documentary.

Q: Best movie you watched recently?

The F1 movie.

Q: Most played artist or song on your pre-match playlist right now?

Drake. The Resistance by Drake.

Q: Favorite city you’ve visited or tournament you’ve played at so far?

Athens [for both].

Q: What is the one thing about the traveling tennis life you’ve experienced so far that’s less glamorous than people think?

I love everything about it, so I don’t know. I don’t know how to answer that one.

Q: Who’s the funniest person on tour or among your tour peers right now?

I’d say on the pro tour, Frances Tiafoe, and the juniors Andrew Johnson.

Q: If you could steal one shot or technique from any other player, what would it be?

Fonseca’s forehand.

Q: If you could pick any celebrity as a doubles partner, who would you pick and why?

I’d pick Ben Shelton, just because anytime I play with him… it’s pretty scary.

Q: So you consider him a celebrity?

Yes!

Q: What’s your favorite shot to hit?

Forehand inside-in.

Q: Favorite surface to play on?

Red clay.

Q: What’s your racquet and string setup?

Yonex VCORE and PolyTour Strike and PolyTour Pro. Strike on the mains, Pro on the crosses.

Q: Are you a check the draw immediately person or a one match at a time player?

I don’t check the draw ever.

Q: Favorite thing to do in your off time?

Listen to music and play soccer.

Q: You’re in the checkout line at the grocery store or bodega. What treat are you throwing into the basket last minute?

An acai bowl.

Q: What’s your go-to coffee order?

Cappuccino.

Former world No. 1 Andy Roddick patrolled his baseline with a snarl during his playing days. That intensity is still there as the 2003 US Open champion has become a fixture in the tennis media in the last year and a half. His podcast “Served with Andy Roddick” is can’t-miss entertainment every day at Wimbledon, and Roddick has also become a welcome fixture on ESPN’s coverage at the Championships.

We’ve been tracking the analyst across both platforms to hear his takes on American tennis, scroll down for more…

On Coco Gauff, after she defeated Jessica Pegula to reach her first Wimbledon semifinal:
“Listen, you can bet against the great players at your own peril. Coco Gauff is an expert at finding her form throughout a tournament. She did not look great early in this tournament. In the second round, [she probably felt] lucky to be around [after] that win against Sierra.

“But you see how much this means to her? Each match of play, it’s another opportunity to improve on things that maybe weren’t there at the beginning of the tournament, the way she’s finding space on her forehand, maybe not taking on much risk, but kind of feeding the middle of the court, knowing that her defensive skills are good enough.

“And she’s coming in. She volleyed like a wizard at the end of the Bencic match, using that little kind of check forehand to find some space and come in just as an option. I was impressed.”

On Serena Williams, after the 44-year-old suffered a first-round loss to Maya Joint on Centre Court:
“Here’s what I think. I think we’ll see her again on a singles court for sure. I think Serena leaving this match is going ‘I almost won the match and there’s a lot I can improve on.’

“I think at the two-hour mark, I think her legs gave out. I think the serve started missing by five feet. You can’t create the spin mechanism to bring it down.

“But there were flashes. Instead of three points in a row, it was two points in a row and then an error. Credit to Maya Joint, I thought she played really well considering the circumstances, that she was someone carrying a massive losing streak at tour-level into the event. I thought she did well.

“If I know Serena at all, she’s pissed and she’s going, ‘I think I can still beat these people.’ I think we’ll see her in the US Open in singles.”

On Ben Shelton, after the No. 4-seeded American suffered a difficult loss to Otto Virtanen in the first round:
“This is going to be a loss that I think stings for a long time. If you’re going to be that guy who’s top three, top four in the world, I don’t know that this is a result that you can have. And I don’t think I’m saying anything controversial – I’m sure Ben would tell you the same thing.”

Here’s where Roddick thinks Shelton can improve:
“Recognizing tendencies and patterns is something that I can see as a point of improvement, where all of a sudden he starts rolling and winning that match [against Virtanen] in four sets instead of losing in five sets. The good news is I think there’s a lot of room for improvement, to be a better volume returner, when to pull the trigger, when not to. The guy’s seeded four, and there’s still a lot of upside.

“If I’m in [Ben’s] corner, I’m going, ‘listen, I know this hurts. There’s so much we can work on. There’s so much improvement to be made, and you’re one of the top five players on earth.”

On Taylor Fritz, whom Roddick considers to be the favorite to come through the bottom half of the men’s draw:
“On this surface specifically, almost everything Taylor Fritz does well naturally gets better. Those flat shots through the court, being able to take big cuts.

On Fritz’s win over Alexander Bublik, and his general approach at the majors:
”Taylor’s a professional. He’s a pro. All this talk about the Slams, he leans into that conversation and speaks very plainly about “my life goal in this sport is to win a Slam.” No ifs and or buts, no qualifiers. Boom—that’s it.

“He might get beat in this tournament, but it’s not because he’s kind of leaning away from a challenge, right? Bublik breaks him early in this match. He breaks right back. He’s starting to get that gene—or maybe he’s had it for a while, maybe starting to get it as a little dismissive—he kind of has that gene where something goes wrong, he kind of goes inward, finds some calm.

“This is what top players do. They take tricky matchups and they make a routine.”

On Frances Tiafoe’s heartbreaking loss to Alexander Bublik:
”Rough one for ‘Foe. There’s just no way around it, on the heels of Roland Garros, where he was up two sets and two breaks against Arnaldi.

“I feel for him because I feel like he has consciously tried to do all the right things. And what you want for that work is to have those results in the majors. It’s been the opposite, the last two majors. He is normally one of the nicest, most affable, ready-to-smile guys ever. He looked hollow when he walked off the court.

“Like legitimately, I don’t know that I’ve seen Frances that sad walking off the court before.”

While Americans observed Independence Day, tennis players representing the Stars and Stripes gave fans plenty to celebrate. Several all-American matchups at Wimbledon unfortunately whittled down the number in the draw, but Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz have all reached the quarterfinals, while six of the nation’s top doubles players have also reached the second week at SW19 across the men’s, women’s and mixed doubles draws: Taylor Townsend, Caty McNally, Asia Muhammad, Austin Krajicek, Aleksandar Kovacevic and Christian Harrison.

On the ATP Challenger Tour and the Men’s and Women’s World Tennis Tours (formerly the ITF World Tennis Tour), 10 Americans lifted eight trophies across the globe, from Cary, N.C., to Hillcrest, South Africa. At the M15 in San Diego, Ohio State doubles partners Aidan Kim and Bryce Nakashima faced off in the final, with Nakashima prevailing to win his first professional singles title.

Winner of the week

Quote of the week
”Honestly, that match point I was going for a serve and volley ‘cause I was like, ‘I need to end the point.’ This was probably the most dramatic finish—I’ve never had to race against time. Playing tennis we’re used to not having a clock, but honestly, today I felt the pressure and glad I didn’t choose basketball.” —Coco Gauff said in her on-court interview after finishing her fourth-round match two minutes before the Wimbledon curfew.

Off-court antics of the week

Photo of the week

NOTABLE RESULTS

MEN

ATP Challenger (Cary, N.C.)

Singles
Braden Shick - Champion

ATP Challenger (Brasov, Romania)

Singles
Keegan Smith - Finalist

USTA Pro Circuit M15 (San Diego, Calif.)

Singles
Bryce Nakashima - Champion
Aidan Kim - Finalist

Doubles
Maxwell Exsted / Noah Johnson - Champions
Vignesh Gogineni - Finalist

Men’s World Tennis Tour M15 (Hillcrest, South Africa)

Doubles
Gray Voelzke - Champion

Men’s World Tennis Tour M15 (Monastir, Tunisia)

Doubles
Alexander Frusina - Champion

Men’s World Tennis Tour M15 (Kayseri, Turkey)

Singles
Matias Reyniak - Finalist

WOMEN

USTA Pro Circuit W100 (Cary, N.C.)

Singles
Savannah Broadus - Finalist

Doubles
Catherine Harrison / Dalayna Hewitt - Champions

USTA Pro Circuit W15 (San Diego, Calif.)

Singles
Kate Fakih - Finalist

Doubles
Anne Christine Lutkemeyer Obregon - Champion
Salma Ewing - Finalist

Women’s World Tennis Tour W15 (Getxo, Spain)

Doubles
Maxine Murphy - Champion

WHAT TO WATCH

MEN

Wimbledon (London, Great Britain)

Singles
Taylor Fritz (6)

Doubles
Austin Krajicek (14)
Aleksandar Kovacevic

Mixed Doubles
Christian Harrison (3)

Boys’ Singles
Keaton Hance (3)
Andrew Johnson (12)
Jack Secord
Tanishk Konduri
Jordan Lee

Boys’ Doubles
Michael Antonius / Andrew Johnson (2)
Jack Secord
Safir Azam / Vihaan Reddy
Jordan Lee
Tanishk Konduri
Ryan Cozad / Gavin Goode

Men’s Wheelchair Singles and Doubles
Casey Ratzlaff

Cerity Partners Hall of Fame Open presented by the Margaret Fund (Newport, R.I.) – ATP Challenger

Singles
Alex Michelsen (2)
Jenson Brooksby (3)
Mackenzie McDonald
Darwin Blanch
Murphy Cassone
Braden Shick

Doubles
Mac Kiger (4)
Trey Hilderbrand
Nathaniel Lammons / Jackson Withrow
Daniel Milavsky
Mackenzie McDonald
Alex Rybakov
Tyler Zink
George Goldhoff

Qualifying Singles
Andre Ilagan (2)
Stefan Kozlov (5)
Tyler Zink (7)
Daniel Milavsky (11)
Garrett Johns (12)
Alex Rybakov
Quinn Vandecasteele
Ozan Baris
Patrick Maloney

WOMEN

Wimbledon (London, Great Britain)

Singles
Jessica Pegula (4)
Coco Gauff (7)

Doubles
Taylor Townsend (1)
Caty McNally (14)
Asia Muhammad (16)

Girls’ Singles
Thea Frodin
Janae Preston
Chukwumelije Clarke

Girls’ Doubles
Thea Frodin (7)
Nancy Lee / Janae Preston
Jordyn Hazelitt / Welles Newman
Anita Tu
Carrie-Anne Hoo
Chukwumelije Clarke / Olivia Traynor
Lani Chang / Margaret Sohns

Cerity Partners Hall of Fame Open for the Van Alen Cup presented by the Margaret Fund (Newport, R.I.) – WTA 125

Singles
Katie Volynets (3)
Mary Stoiana (4)
Elizabeth Mandlik (7)
Caroline Dolehide
Madison Brengle
Carolyn Ansari
Katrina Scott
Lea Ma
Anna Rogers
Clervie Ngounoue
Alana Smith
Kylie Collins
Reese Brantmeier
Sachia Vickery
Olivia Lincer

Doubles
Anna Rogers (2)
Reese Brantmeier / Carmen Corley
Elizabeth Mandlik / Alana Smith
Jaeda Daniel / Allura Zamarripa
Savannah Broadus / Kylie Collins
Clervie Ngounoue
Mary Lewis
Sydney Jara / Olivia Lincer
Carolyn Ansari
Katrina Scott
Katie Volynets

WATCH

There are also seven ATP Challenger events, three WTA 125 tournaments and 28 World Tennis Tour and USTA Pro Circuit events taking place across the globe this week, with many more American players competing for valuable ranking points and prize money. Watch these rising stars in action on World Tennis’ live stream.

By Douglas Robson

LONDON – There’s a historic American wave washing over the lawns of Wimbledon this year. With 36 U.S. players competing in the singles main draws, including 18 women, it marks the largest overall American contingent at the All England Club since 1996.

Beyond the sheer volume of players, what truly stands out during the second week of the tournament is the profound sense of mutual respect and admiration among the American women, as well as the occasional tributes they are drawing from international peers.

Nowhere was this camaraderie more evident than in the aftermath of the fourth-round clash between top-ranked American Jessica Pegula and 18-year-old rising star Iva Jovic.

After No. 4 seed Pegula rallied to defeat the 16th-seeded Jovic, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, the two exchanged remarkably detailed praise of each other’s tactical games. The dynamic between the two is already well-established: Pegula cheekily dubbed the teenager her “mini-me” when she defeated Jovic earlier this year in Dubai.

Jovic was quick to point out that Pegula, who she sometimes practices with at tournaments, provides a perfect blueprint for success on the slick turf.

“She plays very flat,” said Torrance, Calif., native Jovic. “She plays early. Her strokes are very compact, so she’s not rushed very often.”

More importantly, Jovic recognized the even-keeled psychological baseline that sets the 32-year-old American apart from her peers: “She’s just very stable,” Jovic said, adding that she has few dips in form “throughout the whole match.”

Pegula also had props for her compatriot. She said that she and Jovic “play honestly pretty similar, where we both absorb pace very well” and was equally complimentary of the teenager’s rapid development.

Having faced her on all three surfaces this year—hard, clay and grass—Pegula also highlighted Jovic’s physical maturation and world-class competitiveness.

“She’s gotten so much stronger physically and super fit and competes like an animal,” Buffalo-born Pegula said earlier in the tournament. “I really respect that aspect of her. She doesn’t seem to be fazed by whoever she’s facing, which I think is something rare. I think she’s going to have an amazing career for the next 10, 15 [years], however long she decides to play.”

That deep respect echoes throughout the U.S. ranks.

Pegula’s next challenge is an all-American quarterfinal showdown against two-time major winner Coco Gauff. Gauff upset Venus Williams as a 15-year-old to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon seven years ago, but has not advanced beyond that stage since her breakout in 2019.

Anticipating their upcoming quarterfinal showdown, seventh-seeded Gauff praised Pegula on Sunday after outdueling last year’s Wimbledon semifinalist Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

“She’s always a tough opponent for me,” said Gauff. “I think she’s really consistent and gets a lot of balls back and can also play really aggressive, too.”

Gauff, 22, also took a moment to reflect on the longevity and success of the veteran generation of American stars pushing them forward, specifically marveling at Pegula and 31-year-old Madison Keys’ long and successful careers.

Keys, who earned a comeback win against fellow American Amanda Anisimova in the third round, added to the chorus ahead of the Pegula-Gauff showdown.

“I think of course either one of them could win the title. It’s going to be a really tough match tomorrow,” said the 2025 Australian Open champion. “It’s kind of been decade after decade where the U.S. women have kind of come in, and there’s always been a lot of us doing well and continuing to push each other. It’s nice to see that we’re continuing that trend.”

The praise for the U.S. women isn’t limited to their own locker room. After No. 12 seed Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine defeated American qualifier Ashlyn Krueger, 6-4, 6-4, on Monday, she offered a detailed breakdown of the challenges Krueger presented on the grass.

“She has this very interesting ball because it’s very deep and, like, doesn’t have a lot of spin, but it’s a lot of pressure,” Kostyuk noted of Krueger, who had won 15 of 16 matches on grass going into their fourth-round contest. “I mean, for sure grass is her good surface,” Kostyuk, last month’s French Open semifinalist, added.

Despite the tough loss to Pegula on Sunday, Jovic was quick to throw her support behind her compatriot for the remainder of the fortnight. Pegula, a US Open finalist in 2024, is in her second quarterfinal at Wimbledon but still seeking a maiden Grand Slam trophy.

“I would like to see her win, yeah,” said Jovic, the youngest player in the WTA’s Top 20. “Fellow American, nice girl... I think she can do it.”

As Wimbledon moves into its critical second week, the American women are proving they have both the firepower to contend for the title and the collective grace to lift each other up.

By Douglas Robson

LONDON – Ashlyn Krueger seems to have found the right frequency. The 22-year-old American, who listens to different musical “frequencies” to calm her nerves, has tuned into a career-best rhythm at Wimbledon.

“It’s very upbeat right now,” said Krueger of her current musical wavelength.

A qualifier now on a six-match grass winning streak, Krueger advanced to the fourth round at a major for the first time by defeating Ukraine’s Daria Snigur, 6-3, 6-2, on Saturday. She’s one of five American women to reach this stage, but undoubtedly the least experienced at this level.

Dallas-based Krueger cracked the WTA’s Top 30 last summer but entered this grass season searching for answers. A string of disappointing results had dropped her outside the Top 100, forcing her to qualify for Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Now she’s the latest example that one hot month can change the trajectory of a season.

For the 102nd-ranked Krueger, that turnaround began at the WTA 125 Birmingham Open in early June, where she won five matches to reach the semifinals, followed immediately by capturing the WTA 125 title in Ilkley, also in England.

Those deep runs set the stage for her stellar form at the All England Club, where after winning three matches in qualifying she upset No. 31 seed and Queen’s WTA 500 champion Donna Vekic in the first round. Contesting her 14th career Grand Slam main draw, the American now boasts a tour-best 16-1 record on grass across all professional levels in 2026.

At 6-foot-1, Krueger’s powerful serve and aggressive game are well-matched for the low-bouncing turf. While she previously reached the quarterfinals at grass-court tune-up ‘s-Hertogenbosch in 2023, this run marks a clear surface breakthrough.

“I love grass,” said Krueger. “It suits my game really well,” she added, noting that first-strike serving and returning are strong suits of many Americans who grow up on hard courts.

A girls’ 16s and 18s Orange Bowl winner, Krueger revamped her support system ahead of her Wimbledon run. After ending her partnership with coach Hugo Armando following the French Open, Krueger is leaning on her mother and Dave Anderson, her childhood coach from Texas who is making his first-ever trip to Wimbledon. She has embraced a highly active, self-coaching role—handling her own opponent scouting, video research and tactical preparation.

“It’s a rewarding feeling to go out there and kind of do the work yourself, and not rely so much on one person in particular,” Krueger reflected. “I think I’m building a lot of self-confidence that way too.”

Consistency has been the missing ingredient for the talented Texan, but she believes it stems from daily discipline rather than a quick fix. Her focus remains simple.

“I’m just very happy with the way that I’m taking each point at face value and really competing every single time,” she said.

Up next for a place in the quarterfinals: Another Ukrainian, No. 12 seed Marta Kostyuk.

Kostyuk, a versatile and aggressive baseliner with excellent movement, broke through to last month’s French Open semifinals on the heels of a stellar clay season. She also finds herself in the fourth round at Wimbledon for the first time. Kostyuk played no tune-up events on grass and vacationed in Greece while nursing a right ankle injury.

“I’m not very, very surprised that she made it to the fourth round,” Kostyuk said of Krueger, who beat her in three sets at Adelaide in early 2025 when the Ukrainian was coming back from an injury in their only previous meeting. “I think she has a big serve and is good on grass… It’s going to be interesting,” Kostyuk said.

Whether the soundtrack calls for calm or a lift, Krueger says she chooses the frequency she needs “depending on the day.” Against Kostyuk on Monday, she’ll be hoping she’s dialed into the right frequency again.

The first three rounds of Wimbledon produced milestones aplenty for the American men and women in London. 36 U.S. players competed in the singles main draw, and six are still alive to kick off week two tomorrow on Wimbledon’s hallowed grass.

Here are the numbers that moved the needle in Week 1 at Wimbledon.

1 – American Man
No. 7 seed Taylor Fritz is the only American man left standing at Wimbledon. He improved his grass-court record to 10-1 in 2026 with a four-set win over Lorenzo Sonego to reach the Round of 16.

2 – To Live Up To
Among currently active players, only Serena Williams (107) and Venus Williams (98) have claimed more tour-level grass-court wins than Madison Keys. The American claimed her 62nd on Saturday, defeating Amanda Anisimova to reach the Round of 16.

3 – Serving Free
Coco Gauff dropped just three first-serve points in Round 1, which snapped a four-match losing streak on grass and marked her first win on the surface since Wimbledon 2024. She has gone on to win two more matches (both in three sets) to reach the Wimbledon Round of 16 for the third time.

4 – And Hungry for More
Fritz became the 17th American man to reach the Round of 16 at Wimbledon at least four times with his 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(5) victory over Sonego. The Southern California native has won 23 of his last 27 matches on grass, and 12 of his last 14 at Wimbledon.

5 – In the Sweet 16
Five American women—Jessica Pegula, Iva Jovic, Coco Gauff, Ashlyn Krueger and Madison Keys—reached the second week at Wimbledon. That’s the most American women into the Round of 16 at SW19 since 2002.

Speaking of five, Gauff holds a 5-0 record vs. American players in 2026 (one win each over Townsend, Jovic, Parks, Baptiste and Liu).

6 – For Six
Qualifier Ashlyn Krueger has reeled off six straight wins from qualifying to reach the Round of 16 for the first time at a major. The 22-year-old Texan is now 16-1 on the grass across all levels in 2026.

Six is also the number of Californian-born players that reached the last 32: Iva Jovic, Claire Liu, Zachary Svajda, Taylor Fritz, Marcos Giron and Jenson Brooksby.

7 – American men who reached the third round
Jenson Brooksby, Taylor Fritz, Marcos Giron, Tommy Paul, Zachary Svajda, Frances Tiafoe, and Michael Zheng.

8 – And Counting?
Keys is on an eight-match winning streak after claiming her fourth grass-court title at Eastbourne last week (d. Tatjana Maria in the final) and reaching the fourth round at SW19.

9 – On the Trot
Michael Zheng has won all nine of his Grand Slam qualifying matches in 2026. The Columbia grad produced his best ever result at a major at Wimbledon, reaching the third round before falling to Felix Auger-Aliassime on Centre Court.

10 – Wimbledon Appearances
And 40 at the Grand Slam level overall for Taylor Fritz, who is bidding to become the first American man to win Wimbledon since seven-time champion Pete Sampras won his last title in 2000.

11 – Fritz reached the last 16 at a Grand Slam for the 11th time and became the 19th American player in the Open Era to reach the men’s singles Round of 16 at a Grand Slam on 11 or more occasions.

12 – Pegula reached the Round of 16 at a major for the 12th time, with all of those appearances coming since the start of 2021.

13 – Gauff has 13 three-set wins in WTA main draws in 2026, the most of any player this season.

14-2 – Jovic’s career record on grass, across all levels as a professional. The Torrance, Calif., native picked up her first Wimbledon main-draw win in the first round. Playing in her eighth career Grand Slam main draw, and second Wimbledon, Jovic will face Pegula in the Round of 16.

15 – Americans advanced to the third round, matching the 2000 total and marking the most since 16 U.S. players reached that stage in 1995. Eight women and seven men made the last 32.

18 – Southern California native Claire Liu contested her 18th career Grand Slam main draw at Wimbledon, and reached the third round for the first time.

19 – Top seed Jannik Sinner improved to 19-0 vs. Americans at the majors with his win over Brooksby in Round 3.

23-7 – Gauff’s career record in three-setters at the majors. She is 17-3 in Grand Slam deciders since the start of 2023.

24 – Americans (12 men and 12 women) who reached the second round of the Wimbledon singles draw, equaling the 24 who advanced in 1996 and marking the most since 27 reached that stage in 1995.

32 – Buffalo native Pegula is the first player to appear within the Top 5 seeds at Wimbledon after having turned 32 since Serena Williams in 2016, when she claimed the title.

36 – Americans contested the main draw. 18 men and 18 women competed in the main draw, the most since 37 in 1996 (21 women, 16 men).

39 – Tiafoe played in his 39th consecutive Grand Slam main draw, which is the longest streak among active players.

41 – Number of Wimbledon matches that it took Madison Keys to finally play on Centre Court. She made the most of the occasion, defeating Anisimova in three sets on Saturday to reach the Round of 16.

56 – Number of career grass-court wins by Fritz (56-27), which lands him at No. 5 on the list of grass-court match wins by active ATP players.

As we celebrate the United States’ 250th birthday this Fourth of July, Inside American Tennis also celebrates what it means to play for your country.

From Billie Jean King to John McEnroe, from Andre Agassi to Coco Gauff, read what 10 American greats have said over the years about suiting up for the Red, White & Blue… whether at the Olympics, Paralympics, Billie Jean King Cup or Davis Cup.

Billie Jean King (speaking in 2020, after Fed Cup was renamed in her honor)
“I wish everyone could feel the sense of pride when they call the score and they say your nation rather than your name. I remember the first time I heard the umpire say, ‘Game, United States of America.’ The sensation of responsibility and pressure is like nothing else. And it’s how you handle it, how you use the opportunity of representing your country when you’re playing—sometimes it can help you come through when you’re almost down and out.”

Andre Agassi (2021, reflecting on his 1996 Olympic gold in Atlanta)
“I felt like I had this team that I was playing for that had about 300 million people on it.”

Coco Gauff (2024, discussing her role as U.S. flagbearer alongside LeBron James at the Paris Olympics)
“I never thought in a million years I would have the honor of carrying the American flag for Team USA in the opening ceremony. I could not be more proud to lead my teammates with LeBron as we showcase our dedication and passion on the biggest stage there is.”

Martina Navratilova (2005, looking back on her debut for the U.S. Fed Cup team)
“It was 1981 and I had just become an American citizen, so I was finally eligible to play for the national team in the Federation Cup. At the time, I was the first woman to play for more than one country. It meant a lot to me, to represent the country I believed in and that believed in me. It felt like I finally belonged.”

Rajeev Ram (2025, during a Davis Cup tie in Delray Beach)
“Playing for your country is something that I don’t think can really be described as to how important it is. We get to play as individuals, for ourselves, all year—but then when we get to play for our team, for our nation, for our captain, it’s a whole different feeling.

“It’s one that, for me, it’s probably the most special thing in tennis. If I ever get asked, I’m never going to say no for a Davis Cup tie.”

Dana Mathewson (2021, ahead of the Tokyo Paralympics)
“That moment putting on a shirt that has your country’s letters on the back is a huge deal and I think it makes me play harder because I know I’m playing for something bigger than myself.”

Lindsay Davenport (2023, upon being named U.S. BJK Cup captain)
“Playing Billie Jean King Cup was always something that was a huge priority and a huge highlight for me during my career. I always felt a tremendous amount of pride representing my country, and I’m excited to do it now in a different role.”

Mike Bryan (2025, ahead of his and his brother Bob Bryan’s induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame)
“Playing with legends like Agassi, Roddick and Blake was a dream. We grew up watching the U.S. [Davis Cup] team with our faces painted and drums in the stands. We treated every tie like a Slam final. We’d arrive 10 days early, start getting nervous a few days before, stop eating. It mattered that much.”

Frances Tiafoe (2025, at a Davis Cup qualifier in Delray Beach)
“The one thing I enjoy the most about Davis Cup tennis is just playing for the flag. There’s nothing really like it. It’s not about me, it’s about the guys. We’ve all got one common goal when we come together. This is not [usually] a team sport, man. So, just to come together for one common goal that’s not money-driven, that’s pride-driven... You get patriotic here. It’s amazing.

“God bless America. I’m so happy to be American and be able to compete for the flag.”

John McEnroe (2024, looking back on the importance of Davis Cup)
“When I was a kid, I asked my parents what they wanted from me in the sport of tennis, and it was to get a college scholarship and to play Davis Cup. I like to be part of a team. I played other sports, I thought that was awesome.

“To put that USA on your back as well, it’s one of the greatest feelings that I ever had as a tennis player.”

By Douglas Robson

LONDON – Coming into Wimbledon, Jenson Brooksby’s season was veering into setback territory. The 25-year-old American arrived at the All England Club carrying an underwhelming 6-15 record, marred by a bruising nine-match losing streak that stretched from the hard courts of ATP 1000 Indian Wells through the grass at ATP 250 ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

The European red clay, historically his toughest surface, had taken a toll on his confidence and results. He didn’t pick up a single win on dirt.

Since alighting onto the low-bouncing lawns of London, Brooksby has been mowing opponents down. He didn’t drop a set in advancing to the third round for the second time in four years, including a commanding 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 victory against 31st-seeded Ignacio Buse of Peru on Wednesday.

“I thought it was one of my strongest performances in a long while,” Brooksby said of the win, during which he served five aces with no double faults and converted seven of 11 break points. “I focused on what I needed to in my game really well. And I did a good job of not giving him any true openings.”

The stakes get considerably more difficult on Friday for the 81st-ranked Sacramento native: a meeting with defending Wimbledon champion and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner for a place in the last 16.

Brooksby’s turnaround isn’t entirely out of left field. He has always had a healthy relationship with grass. Despite his famously unorthodox mechanics and defensive baselining style, his ability to redirect pace, hit flat, and utilize short takebacks makes him a natural threat on slicker surfaces.

“Even from year one of playing on the grass in 2021, I just feel like grass has best suited my game,” Brooksby explained.

Resilience is practically woven into his DNA, too.

A USTA Boys’ 18s National Championship singles winner in 2018, Brooksby has weathered significant storms in his young career, including wrist surgeries and a 13-month suspension for whereabouts failures related to doping tests. In 2025, Brooksby also publicly revealed that he had been diagnosed with autism, a deeply personal step that has given him a broader perspective and connected him with fans worldwide.

“I think I’d say I’ve had a lot more things to overcome than the average player on tour, for sure,” he says, adding: “I think a lot of other people in my position would have been down and out.”

Brooksby is currently without a coach but has embraced using advanced analytics to identify improvements in his own game and weaknesses in opponents.

“I’m still finding ways to get better,” he said.

Instead of returning to his base in Dallas after the French Open as many home-sick Americans do, Brooksby remained in Europe to maximize his preparation for the grass season. Although he misses “the little things” like his own bed, car and familiar faces, he said he’s become more comfortable with the isolation of tour life than during his first extended European trip four years ago.

“I think it’s a decision that paid off,” he said.

That next test comes on No. 1 Court, where Brooksby will square off against Sinner. The two haven’t crossed paths since the Italian defeated Brooksby in the Washington semifinals in 2021.

Sinner knows he is in for a difficult battle, while acknowledging how much both players have changed since their last meeting.

“He has improved a lot,” the four-time major winner said of Brooksby. “I’m also a different player than five years ago. Then we see how it goes. But I’m happy to face him.”

Fellow American Taylor Fritz, who advanced to the third round on Thursday, said Brooksby’s untraditional style and ability to both absorb and dish out pace could cause Sinner problems.

“I don’t know how much the grass is helping his serve, but I think that’s going to be where the match is won or lost,” said the No. 6 seed.

For Brooksby, who is finally finding his form after a grueling spring, Friday’s match is a golden opportunity to embrace the spotlight he has fought so hard to regain.

“There is nothing I love more than being able to be on these big show courts in big matches as it goes further in the Slams,” he said. “I’m just excited and grateful for the opportunity and just hope to keep it going.”

Plus, he said: “I never doubt my ability to be able to beat someone.”

By Douglas Robson

LONDON – Zachary Svajda isn’t about to slow down the huge strides his game has taken in 2026. But in his first main-draw appearance at Wimbledon, he’s allowing himself to stop and smell the roses a little bit while experiencing the digs in SW19.

“The flowers are just so nice, like they’re everywhere,” said Svajda of the All England Club’s stylish floral decorations following Monday’s clinical 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 victory over lucky loser Pablo Llamas Ruiz.

After several unsuccessful trips through qualifying, the 66th-ranked American called the milestone win “so special.”

“I’ve always dreamed about playing here one day and not having to go through qualifying,” he said.

A top junior who won the prestigious USTA Boys’ 18s National Championships twice, Svajda has taken his game to the next level under the guidance of coach Raymond Sarmiento over the past year. He started the season at No. 143, cracked the Top 100 in February and moved to a career-high No. 62 following his run to the fourth round at Roland Garros this spring.

Svajda’s best major showing was also reward for a “more professional” approach to his training on and off the court in 2026. That includes watching his diet and cutting back on one of his favorite indulgences: chocolate mousse.

“Especially the ones in Paris,” he joked.

While Svajda’s grass results before Wimbledon were not as impressive—he lost to American Tommy Paul at the ATP 500 Queen’s Club in the first round after qualifying, and won a match but failed to qualify at the ATP 250 Mallorca—Sarmiento says Svajda’s level did not drop. Instead, he believes the La Jolla native is becoming a threat no matter what is underfoot.

“I think he can compete on any surface with anyone, so it’s just the belief behind that,” former pro and fellow Southern Californian Sarmiento said.

At 5-foot-9, Svajda can’t rely on some of the natural power height affords. But with Sarmiento, he’s added pop to his serve, giving him a bigger weapon to pair with his speed and defensive instincts. Combined with an aggressive forehand, Svajda has been able to dictate play more often against the tour’s top players.

The tennis gains have been matched by emotional growth.

After the death of his father, Tom, last fall, Svajda returned to his hometown Challenger in San Diego and produced one of the finest performances of his career by winning the title, a sign of the resilience that has fueled his rise this season.

That fortitude resurfaced at Roland Garros, where Svajda upset No. 25 seed Francisco Cerundolo in an emotional five-setter on what would have been his father’s 61st birthday. It marked his first foray into the second week of a major.

Still, others say Svajda’s best talent might be his timing.

“I think he’s one of the best ball-strikers on tour,” top-ranked American Ben Shelton said after practicing with Svajda the day before Wimbledon began. “People are going to say I’m crazy for saying that, but go watch the guy play.”

Against Spain’s Ruiz, Svajda struck 31 winners against just eight unforced errors, never faced a break point and controlled the match from start to finish in his straight-sets victory.

“I served really well throughout the match,” he said. “It wasn’t the best I’ve played, but I just had to play solid and stay focused.”

He credits his improvement this season to a more mature outlook following time away from the tour last year after his father’s illness and death, along with a renewed commitment to the “little things” in training.

“I would say a lot has changed with my mindset for sure,” Svajda said. “I took a lot of time off because of my dad. It just really gave me time to think about how I want to approach this next season going into 2026.”

On Wednesday, Svajda faces 45th-ranked veteran Kamil Majchrzak of Poland, who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon last year. They have never met.

No. 4 seed Shelton, who suffered a first-round upset Tuesday, said he expected these kinds of results from Svajda when the two met in the 2021 USTA Boys’ 18s Nationals final.

“It’s crazy, from Kalamazoo to being here,” said Shelton, who lost that junior final meeting. “It’s his first main draw at Wimbledon, so really happy for him.”

Svajda came to Wimbledon chasing wins. Along the way, he finally found time to appreciate the flowers, too.