USTA Announces Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles U.S. Open Field
The USTA today announced that 15 Grand Slam singles champions will headline the women’s singles field for the 2021 US Open Tennis Championships, and 20-time Grand Slam singles champions Novak Djokovic (SRB), Rafael Nadal (ESP) and Roger Federer (SUI) will headline the men’s singles field for the 2021 US Open Tennis Championships, as their race for the men’s major singles title record and Djokovic’s pursuit of the first men’s ‘Calendar Grand Slam’ since 1969 take center stage.
The field is led by world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty (AUS), the reigning Wimbledon champion and 2019 French Open champion; No. 2 Naomi Osaka (JPN), the reigning US Open champion and four-time Grand Slam champion; No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka (BLR), a Wimbledon semifinalist and former US Open doubles champion; No. 4 Sofia Kenin (USA) the 2020 Australian Open champion; No. 5 Bianca Andreescu (CAN), the 2019 US Open champion; No. 6 Elina Svitolina (UKR), a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist and 2018 WTA Tour champion; No. 7 Karolina Pliskova (CZE), the former world No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam finalist; No. 8 Iga Swiatek (POL); the 2020 French Open champion; No. 9 Garbine Muguruza (ESP), a two-time Grand Slam champion; and No. 10 Simona Halep (ROU), a two-time Grand Slam champion.
Other Grand Slam champions in the field include: 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams (USA); reigning French Open champion and world No. 11 Barbora Krejcikova (CZE); two-time Grand Slam champion and world No. 13 Petra Kvitova (CZE); two-time Australian Open champion and world No. 14 Victoria Azarenka (BLR); 2016 US Open champion and three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber (GER); 2018 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko (LAT); 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens (USA) and 2011 US Open champion Samantha Stosur (AUS), who is using a protected ranking of No. 97.
The 2021 US Open will be played Monday, August 30 to Sunday, September 12 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y. The US Open Women’s Singles Championship is presented by J.P. Morgan.
Sara Errani (ITA), a 2012 US Open semifinalist, ranked No. 104, is the last women to receive direct entry, while Kirsten Flipkens (BEL), is currently the first player on the alternate list. Stosur is one of four players using a protected ranking including No. 47 Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ), No. 68 Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) and No. 90 Ivana Jorovic (SRB). Sixteen more players will gain entry through the US Open Qualifying Tournament, which will be held August 24-27.
Thirty-four countries are represented in the women’s entry list, with 16 Americans qualifying for direct entry: No. 4 Sofia Kenin (Pembroke Pines, Fla.); No. 15 Jennifer Brady (Harrisburg, Pa./Orlando, Fla.); No. 16 Serena Williams (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.); No, 25 Coco Gauff (Delray Beach, Fla.); No. 26 Madison Keys (Rock Island, Ill./Orlando, Fla.); No. 27 Jessica Pegula (Buffalo, N.Y.); No. 36 Alison Riske (Pittsburgh, Pa.); No. 42 Shelby Rogers (Charleston, S.C.); No. 44 Danielle Collins (St. Petersburg, Fla.); No. 70 Sloane Stephens (Plantation, Fla.); No. 71 Ann Li (King of Prussia, Pa.); No. 76 Bernarda Pera (Tenafly, N.J.); No. 78 Madison Brengle (Dover, Del.); No. 84 Amanda Anisimova (Aventura, Fla.); No. 95 Lauren Davis (Gates Mills, Ohio); and No. 100 Christina McHale (Teaneck, N.J.).
On the men’s side, No. 1 Djokovic, No. 3 Nadal and No. 9 Federer lead a US Open men’s singles field that features the Top 103 men in the world, including No. 6 and defending US Open champion Dominic Thiem (AUT), former US Open champions Stan Wawrinka (SUI) and Marin Cilic (CRO) and a Top-10 full of young challengers: No. 2 Daniil Medvedev (RUS), a 2019 US Open finalist; No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE), a 2021 French Open finalist; No. 5 Alexander Zverev (GER), a 2020 US Open finalist; No. 7 Andrey Rublev (RUS), second on the tour in wins this year; No. 8 Matteo Berrettini (ITA), a 2021 Wimbledon finalist; and No. 10 Denis Shapovalov (CAN), a 2021 Wimbledon semifinalist.
Djokovic, the singles champion at the Australian and French Opens and Wimbledon this year, will come into New York with a chance to be the third man in history to win all four major singles titles in the same year, following Australian Rod Laver in 1969 and American Don Budge in 1938. Djokovic is also entered into the singles field at the Tokyo Olympics, meaning should he win the Gold Medal in singles there, he would have the chance to join Steffi Graf (1988) as the only players to ever complete the ‘Calendar Golden Slam.’
The 2021 US Open will be played Monday, August 30 to Sunday, September 12 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y. The US Open Men’s Singles Championship is presented by Chase.
Lucas Pouille (FRA), a 2016 US Open quarterfinalist ranked No. 103, is the last man to receive direct entry, while 2012 US Open champion Andy Murray (GBR), ranked No. 104, is currently the first player on the alternate list. Only Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) used a protected ranking (No. 96) to enter. Sixteen more players will gain entry through the US Open Qualifying Tournament, which will be held August 24-27.
Thirty-five countries are represented in the men’s entry list, with 10 Americans qualifying for direct entry: No. 32 Reilly Opelka (Palm Coast, Fla.) No. 37 Taylor Fritz (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.), No. 39 John Isner (Greensboro, N.C./Dallas), No. 47 Sebastian Korda (Bradenton, Fla.), No. 53 Frances Tiafoe (Hyattsville, Md.), No. 54 Tommy Paul (Greenville, N.C.) No. 64 Marcos Giron (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), No. 70 Sam Querrey (Las Vegas), No. 82 Tennys Sandgren (Gallatin, Tenn.), No. 83 Steve Johnson (Orange, Calif.).
The July 19 edition of the ATP and WTA rankings were used to determine the US Open main draw entry list. Seeds will be determined and announced closer to the start of the event.
The 2021 US Open will mark the culmination of the US Open Series, the North American summer season of nine WTA and ATP Tour events that began last week in Newport, R.I.
