No Canadian players will be part of the singles draws at the U.S. Open main event as Bianca Andreescu and Liam Draxl were defeated in the final round of the qualifying matches held on Friday in New York.
Andreescu lost to Slovenia’s Tamara Zidansek with a score of 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. The 2019 U.S. Open women’s champion from Mississauga, Ont., managed to fire seven aces during the match that lasted two hours and 44 minutes, but struggled with net points, winning only 10 out of 21 opportunities.
The match between Andreescu and Zidansek began on Thursday but had to be halted due to rain, with Andreescu leading 2-0 at the time. Draxl, hailing from Newmarket, Ont., also faced defeat in his qualifying match against Australia’s Tristan Schoolkate, with a final score of 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7).
Both players secured four breaks each, but Schoolkate managed to break Draxl’s serve last, taking a 4-3 lead in the third set and overturning Draxl’s early advantage.
On the men’s side of the tournament, Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov from Richmond Hill, Ont., will be competing in the main draw starting on Sunday, while Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., the 2021 runner-up, will represent Canada on the women’s side.
In other news, Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula have commended the U.S. Open for its record prize money allocation and establishment of a Grand Slam player advisory council. The tournament announced a record $108 million US prize purse for this year, with all four Grand Slams introducing plans for an advisory council in response to demands from top players for increased prize money and a greater say in the sport’s decisions.
Sabalenka, the current World No. 1, expressed support for the efforts to enhance player compensation and believed these developments could improve relations between players and tournament organizers.
Pegula, an influential figure in player discussions with tennis governing bodies, highlighted the unity between the men’s and women’s tours as instrumental in achieving tangible progress. She emphasized the unprecedented collaboration that led to the establishment of the council, along with increased player welfare contributions and higher prize money.
The initiatives reflect the persistent efforts of players to have a more significant voice in a sport that has long been criticized for its fragmented structure.