NEW YORK — Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka and Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner will lead the field heading into the U.S. Open, which begins next month.
The United States Tennis Association on Tuesday announced the direct entry list for the final Grand Slam tournament of the season. Based on the July 20 rankings for the WTA Tour and ATP Tour, the cutoff was 102nd for women and 101st for men.
Sabalenka arrives at Flushing Meadows atop the women’s rankings and looking to become the first woman to win three consecutive US Open titles since Serena Williams from 2012 to 2014.
Sinner will be looking to regain the title that Carlos Alcaraz took from the 2024 champion when they met in last year’s final. The world number one Italian player defeated French Open champion Alexander Zverev in the Wimbledon final to win his fifth major championship.
Alcaraz has missed the past two majors with a wrist injury, but is hoping to return during North America’s hard court swing and enters the tournament ranked No. 3.
The United States received the most direct entries, with 14 men and 14 women. In the women’s race, Anastasia Zakharova came in last in 102nd place, while in the men’s race it was Filip Misolic who took advantage of his protected ranking of 101st place.
Mysolic was one of eight players (five women, three men) to use special or protected rankings.
The remainder of the 128-player field will be filled through wild cards awarded by the USTA – Williams, 44, is expected to earn a wild card if she returns to tennis and plans to play when she is healthy after suffering a knee injury in her first-round exit at Wimbledon – and a qualifying tournament will be held a week before the main event begins on Sunday, August 30th.
