USTA Launches U.S. Open Wild Card Challenge
The USTA has announced the kickoff of the 2016 U.S. Open Wild Card Challenge, which will once again utilize the USTA Pro Circuit to award wild cards into the U.S. Open. In the U.S. Open Wild Card Challenge, the American man and American woman who earn the most ATP World Tour and WTA ranking points at two of three select USTA Pro Circuit hard-court events this summer will earn main draw wild cards into the U.S. Open. Only Americans who did not earn direct entry into the U.S. Open are eligible.
All tournaments will be streamed live on ProCircuit.USTA.com. Tournaments can also be followed on the USTA Pro Circuit’s smartphone app by searching “ProCircuit” in the app store.
The University of the Pacific $50,000 USTA Pro Circuit Challenger, a women’s event in Stockton, Calif., kicks off the wild card challenge this week. The men’s component of the wild card challenge will begin the following week.
The US Open Wild Card Challenge will consist of the following events:
USTA Pro Circuit Women’s Events
â–ºUniversity of the Pacific $50,000 USTA Pro Circuit Challenger, $50,000, Stockton, Calif. (week of July 11)
â–ºFSP Gold River Women’s Challenger, $50,000, Sacramento, Calif. (week of July 18)
â–ºKentucky Bank Tennis Championships, $50,000, Lexington, Ky. (week of July 25)
USTA Pro Circuit Men’s Events
â–ºLevene Gouldin & Thompson Tennis Challenger, $50,000, Binghamton, N.Y. (week of July 18)
â–ºKentucky Bank Tennis Championships, $50,000, Lexington, Ky. (week of July 25)
â–ºNordic Naturals Challenger, $100,000, Aptos, Calif. (week of August 8)
The USTA first used this U.S. Open wild card format for its 2012 wild cards, won by Steve Johnson and Mallory Burdette, both of whom reached the third round of the U.S. Open. In 2013, Bradley Klahn and Shelby Rogers earned the wild cards, with Klahn winning his first-round match, and in 2014, Nicole Gibbs reached the third round of the U.S. Open (her career-best Grand Slam result), while Wayne Odesnik earned the men’s wild card. Last year, Bjorn Fratangelo made his Grand Slam main draw debut by earning the men’s wild card, while Samantha Crawford competed in the U.S. Open as the women’s wild card. The USTA also utilizes this wild card challenge format for the French Open and Australian Open.
