No Canadian players made it through the qualifying rounds to enter the singles draws at the U.S. Open after Bianca Andreescu and Liam Draxl were defeated in their final matches on Friday in New York. Andreescu lost to Tamara Zidansek of Slovenia in a close match, where despite firing seven aces, she struggled on net points. The match, which began on Thursday, was interrupted by rain with Andreescu leading 2-0 at the time. Draxl also faced a tough match against Australia’s Tristan Schoolkate, which was postponed to Friday and ended in a loss for Draxl.
Despite both players managing to score four breaks each, Schoolkate secured the last break to take the lead in the third set and ultimately win the match. Moving forward, Felix Auger-Aliassime from Montreal and Denis Shapovalov from Richmond Hill, Ont., will represent Canada in the men’s singles draw, while Leylah Fernandez from Laval, Que., will compete in the women’s singles draw.
In other news, Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula have commended the U.S. Open for its record prize money distribution and the establishment of a Grand Slam player advisory council. The announcement of a $108 million US prize purse for this year’s tournament, along with plans for the advisory council, follows demands from top players for increased prize money and more involvement in decision-making processes. Sabalenka, a strong advocate for fair player compensation, expressed optimism that these developments would improve relations between players and tournament organizers.
Sabalenka, along with men’s world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, participated in limiting pre-tournament media interactions at the French Open and Wimbledon this year to protest for a higher share of tournament revenue as prize money. The move aimed to draw attention to the approximately 15% of tournament revenue allocated to player prize money. Pegula, who has played a key role in player discussions with tennis governing bodies, emphasized the importance of unity between the men’s and women’s tours in achieving tangible progress. She highlighted the significant strides made in establishing the player advisory council and enhancing player welfare contributions, signaling a positive shift towards a more inclusive and player-centric approach in the sport.