Players are back on the trail, with Leylah Fernandez and Denis Shapovalov getting an early start on the fall Asian swing.

There are others out there on the Challenger Tour, but it’s far from a full completement of players this week.

Liam Draxl, who had a great win in Davis Cup last Friday, flew out to California and is playing in San Diego this week.

*********************************************

Singapore Open
Singapore, Singapore (WTA 500)

Singles 

[6/WC] Leylah Fernandez
1st rd: def [Q] Kyoka Okamura (JPN) 62 63
2nd rd: def Alycia Parks (USA) 64 63
QF: vs. [1] Mirra Andreeva (RUS) 

Doubles

Erin Routliffe (NZL) / Aldila Sutjiadi (INA)
1st rd: def. Maja Chwalinska (POL) / Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) [ALT] Anna-Lena Friedsam (GER) / Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) 57 60 [10-6]
QF: lost to Joanna Garland / Hsieh Su-Wei (TPE) 64 retd

*********************************************

Chengdu Open
Chengdu, China (ATP 250)

Singles 

[3] Alejandro Tabilo (CHI)
1st rd: Bye
2nd rd: vs. Adrian Mannarino (FRA)  

[7] Denis Shapovalov
1st rd: def Tallon Griekspoor (NED) 64 76 (3)
2nd rd: vs. Vit Kopriva (CZE)

Singles qualifying

[6] Alexis Galarneau
1st rd: def. Elias Ymer (SWE) 75 64
Final rd: lost to [3] Lloyd Harris (RSA) 63 75

*********************************************

Korea Open
Seoul, Korea (WTA 250)

Singles qualifying

Carol Zhao
1st rd: lost to [5] Ma Ye-Xin (CHN) 63 60

*********************************************

Saint-Tropez Open
Saint-Tropez, France (ATP Challenger 125)

Singles 

[LL] Justin Boulais
1st rd: lost to [SE] Harold Mayot (FRA) 64 26 76 (2)

Singles qualifying

[9] Justin Boulais
1st rd: def [WC] Mickael Kaouk (FRA) 57 63 62
Final rd: lost to [5] Matteo Martineau (FRA)

*********************************************

Eupago Porto Open
Porto, Portugal (WTA 125)

Singles 

Katherine Sebov
1st rd: lost to [7] Gabriela Knutson (CZE) 64 62

Doubles

Ariana Arseneault / Raphaelle Lacasse
1st rd: def Ayana Alki (USA) / Angelina Vovolshchuk (POR) 46 76 (1) [16-14]
QF: def Gabriella Da Silva Fick / Tenika McGiffin (AUS) 75 75
SF: vs. Naiktha Bains (GBR) / Sahaja Yamalapalli (IND)

Singles qualifying

[5] Ariana Arseneault
1st rd: def [WC] Catarina Gomes (POR) 60 60
Final rd: lost to [2] Angelina Vovolshchuk (POR) 63 75

[ALT] Raphaelle Lacasse
1st rd: lost to [2] Angelina Vovolshchuk (POR) 57 63 63

*********************************************

Tennis Warehouse Open
San Diego, Calif. (ATP Challenger 75)

Singles

[5] Liam Draxl
1st rd: def [WC] Jack Kennedy (USA) 64 64
2nd rd: lost to Henry Searle (GBR) 76 (7) 26 64

Doubles

Liam Draxl / Colton Smith (USA)
1st rd: def James Mackinlay / Oliver Okonkwo (GBR) 63 63
QF: lost to Andres Martin / Alex Rybakov (USA) 76 (6) 63

*********************************************

W50 Berkeley
Berkeley, Calif. (ITF $40K)

Singles

[PR] Carson Branstine
1st rd: def [4] Whitney Osuigwe (USA) 61 64
2nd rd: lost to [Q] Emma Kamper (DEN) 57 62 62

*********************************************

IV Open Internacional Ciuded de Yecla
Yecla, Spain (ITF $40K)

Singles

[4] Cadence Brace
1st rd: lost to Emily Appleton (GBR) 62 16 63

Doubles

Cadence Brace / Alexandra Vagramov
1st rd def [WC] Anasofia Perez Naranjo / Saralucia Perez Naranjo (COL) 61 61
QF: lost to Carson Tanguilig (USA) / Elza Tomase (LAT) 63 46 [10-1]

Singles qualifying

[6] Alexandra Vagramov
1st rd: def. [WC] Bianca Martinez Puche (ESP) 60 61
Final rd: lost to [4] Kateryna Lazarenko (UKR) 64 63

*********************************************

Setubal Open 2026
Setubal, Portugal (ITF $30K)

Singles

[Q] Benjamin Thomas George
1st rd: lost to [1] Inaki Montes-de la Torre (ESP) 75 64

Doubles

Benjamin Thomas George / Jared Horwood
1st rd: lost to [4] Fausto Tabacco / Giorgio Tabacco (ITA) 64 76 (4)

Singles qualifying

[1] Benjamin Thomas George
1st rd: Bye
2nd rd: def. Lucas Nunez (USA) 57 63 [10-2]
Final rd: def. Duarte Lima Sanches (POR) 62 63

*********************************************

M25 Sabadell
Sabadell, Spain (ITF $30K)

Singles qualifying

Pascal Tylek
1st rd: lost to [2] Leonid Sheyngezikht (BUL) 60 60

*********************************************

*********************************************

Carolina Pro Classic
Columbia, S.C. (ITF $15K)

Singles

Alvin Thomas Tudorica
1st rd: lost to [6] Evan Bynoe (USA) 62 63

Doubles

[1] Joshua Peck / Anders Matta (CHI)
1st rd: vs. Ryan Cozad / Gavin Goode (USA)

Volodymyr Gurenko / Alvin Thomas Tudorica
1st rd: vs. [4] Dakotah Bobo / Nathan Cox (USA)

Singles qualifying

[1] Joshua Peck
1st rd: lost to [WC] Jonah Braswell (USA) 64 62

[10] Volodymyr Gurenko
1st rd: lost to Gianluca Carlini (ITA) 63 63

*********************************************

Magic Hotel Tours by FTT
Monastir, Tunisia (ITF $15K)

Women’s singles

Ellie Daniels
1st rd: def Lavinia Luciano (ITA) 75 64
2nd rd: def. [5] Anastasia Bertacchi (ITA) 63 46 75
QF: vs. [4] Eliz Maloney (GBR)

Men’s singles

[WC] Jaden Weekes
1st rd: def. [JE] Hitesh Chauhan (IND) 64 26 62
2nd rd: lost to [7] Andrea Colombo (ITA) 62 64

Men’s singles qualifying

Cade Nadeau
1st rd: lost to [2] Youssef Kadiri Hassani (MAR) 62 61 

Gryffin Minor
1st rd: lost to [3] Mohamed Ali Abibsi (ALG) 26 64 [11-9]

Kieryn Minor
1st rd: lost to [WC] Anas Ben Youssef (YUN) 75 61

Women’s singles qualifying

Kayla Lorrimer
1st rd: def. Zoe Kaegi (SUI) 62 57 [10-3]
2nd rd: lost to [2] Kesniia Ruchkina (RUS) 63 63

*********************************************

2006 Ma’Anshan Open
Ma’Anshan, China (ITF $15K)

Singles qualifying

Jasmine Li
1st rd: def Liu Yui (CHN) 61 61
2nd rd: lost to [4] Elsa Wan (MAS) 61 16 [13-11]

*********************************************

It was a decade ago. And a completely different cast of characters.

But the Canada vs. France Davis Cup tie of 2016 was a memorable one.

Not for the tennis on the Canadian side; they were completely outclassed.

But for the leadup drama, the venue and the French squad of Mousquetaires who travelled all the way to the Caribbean for the occasion, it was something else.

First things first – a young Felix

A few weeks before the tie, which took place right before Indian Wells that year (The Guadeloupe – Indian Wells commute after that was a … whole other story), there was young Félix Auger-Aliassime, who was 15 and just starting his pro journey with a few Challenger tournaments and was a six months away from winning the US Open juniors.

He and some of the other players practiced on the Har-Tru courts on the second floor at IGA Stadium. Not great courts. And not much like the red clay that would greet them in Guadeloupe. But in February, better than nothing.

Here’s what they looked like.

Pre-tie drama

The French decided, with all of the largesse their budget allowed, that to counter Canadian big gun Milos Raonic, they would hold the on clay.

Earlier in the year, Monfils had accidentally spilled the beans in a press conference at the Australian Open in January. He told tales out of school about a locker-room chat with Raonic that revealed Raonic wasn’t going to play the tie if it was in Europe.

Raonic said it didn’t QUITE happen that way.

Read our piece on the late, lamented Yahoo.

March, in France, outdoors, is a bit of a dicey prospect. So they decided to have it in … Guadeloupe. Which is a French territory in the Caribbean and where Gaël Monfils, the biggest French star, can claim ancestral homeland.

But the installations weren’t great. So the French decided to load up TONS of red French clay on a … boat and sail it to Guadeloupe from … Dunkirk. A two-week journey.

We laid it out all here, in a piece in the New York Times (gift article).

In the end, Raonic took a pass because of an adductor injury. So did the team’s anchor doubles player, Daniel Nestor.

So the Canadians, who were kind of cooked anyway, were really undermanned.

Here’s the story we wrote about it at the time.

Mousquetaires vs. the subs

So Frank Dancevic, who is the captain of the squad taking on France in Quebec City this weekend, had to lead the pack.

The draw ceremony only emphasized the difference between the two squads.

The French squad were literally superstars. And their captain, Yannick Noah, perhaps the biggest of all. He was followed around all weekend in Guadeloupe like he was Elvis.

He had a tough one against … Monfils.

It went 6-3, 6-1, 6-3. Back in those days, it was best-of-five and a three-day tie.

Story here

And it wasn’t a whole lot better for Vasek Pospisil in the second match, where he faced Gilles Simon. The score was better, but Pospisil struggled.

Here’s how it went down.

The Canadians had to try to stay alive in the Saturday doubles – and had to look at … top- 10 singles players Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet on the other side.

They were game, but Pospisil was toast. And so Canada was out.

In the end, Dancevic was able to take a set against Tsonga, before calling it a day.

He had, in another classic Dancevic moment, caught a case of the turistas after his match Friday night.

And Phil Bester made his Davis Cup singles debut.

Ten years on

It’s been a ride since then.

On the Canadian side, all of the players are retired.

On the French side, they lasted a fair bit longer.

Monfils, now 40, is wrapping things up only this year. Gasquet was done last year and Tsonga a little before that, as was Simon – who was just named the high-performance director for the French federation.

Their squad in Quebec City bears little resemblance to that star-studded array of top-10 players in Guadeloupe.

Arthur Fils, who could be their next superstar, bowed out and has had so much trouble staying healthy this year.

The team is led by Arthur Rinderknech, along with Quentin Halys, young Luca Van Assche, Benjamin Bonzi and (now) doubles specialist Pierre-Hugues Herbert.

None of the players is the captain. That falls to Paul-Henri Mathieu, a contemporary who also had a fine playing career but wasn’t at their level.

For Félix Auger-Aliassime and Gabriel Diallo, who didn’t have the US Opens they hoped for (Diallo couldn’t even play – and indeed isn’t answering the bell this week), a reboot can come this week as they play for their country in Quebec City.

They play Davis Cup in France, against a pretty deep squad.

As for the rest of the Canucks, they’re pretty busy at higher-level tournaments – Andreescu in Guadalajara, Fernandez as the top seed in Sao Paulo, as well as a WTA 125 and men’ Challengers.

And Gabriela Dabrowski did Brazilian partner Luisa Stefani a solid and went down to the 250 in Sao Paulo. And they won it.

*********************************************

Davis Cup Qualifiers
Sept. 18-19, 2026
Québec, Québec (ITF)
Canada 3, France 1 (Final)

–

Friday, Sept. 18 

#2 Liam Draxl (CAN) def #1 Arthur Rinderknech (FRA) 62 75
#1 Félix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) def  #2 Quentin Halys (FRA) 76 (5) 46 63

–

Saturday, Sept. 19 

Benjamin Bonzi / Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) def Félix-Auger-Aliassime / Duncan Chan (CAN) 76 (4) 63
#1 Félix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) def. #1 Arthur Rinderknech (FRA) 46 76 (5) 64
#2 Liam Draxl (CAN) vs. #2 Quentin Halys (FRA) NP

–

*********************************************

Guadalajara Open
Guadalajara, Mexico (WTA 500)

Singles 

[WC] Bianca Andreescu
1st rd: lost to [6] Cristina Bucsa (ESP) 64 63

*********************************************

SP Open
Sao Paulo, Brazil (WTA 250)

Singles 

[1] Leylah Fernandez

[Q] Cadence Brace
1st rd: lost to [3] Solana Sierra (ARG) 64 36 61

Doubles

[1] Gabriela Dabrowski / Luisa Stefani (BRA)
1st rd: def [WC] Rebeca Pereira / Marjorie Souza (BRA) 60 61
QF: def Caitlin Quevedo (ESP)/ Dominika Salkova (CZE) WALKOVER
SF: def Dang Yiming / You Xiadi (CHN) 36 63 [11-9]
F: vs. [4] Anna Rogers / Allura Zamarripa (USA) 63 36 [10-7]

Singles qualifying

[6] Cadence Brace
1st rd: def Ana Candiotto (BRA) 63 64
Final rd: def. [2] Hayu Kinoshita (JPN) 75 76 (9)

*********************************************

Tiburon Challenger
Tiburon, California (ATP Challenger 125)

Singles qualifying

Dan Martin
1st rd: lost to [7] Alex Rybakov (USA) 64 62

*********************************************

Caldas Da Rainha Ladies Open
Caldas Da Rainha, Portugal (WTA 125)

Singles 

[7] Kayla Cross
1st rd: vs. Mariia Nozdrachova (UKR) 61 60
2nd rd: lost to Kylie Collins (USA) WALKOVER

Katherine Sebov
1st rd: lost to [2] Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva (AND) 64 61

[LL] Ariana Arseneault
1st rd: lost to Kylie Collins (USA) 67 (7) 61 63

Doubles

[2] Kayla Cross / Ayana Akli (USA)
1st rd: lost to Emily Webley-Smith (GBR) / Mana Ayukawa (JPN) WALKOVER

Ariana Arseneault / Raphaelle Lacasse
1st rd: lost to Kylie Collins (USA) / Angelina Voloshchuk (POR) 64 46 [10-4]]

Singles qualifying

[7] Ariana Arseneault
1st rd: def. Georgina Garcia Perez (ESP) 62 63
Final rd: lost to [4] Angelina Volohchuk (POR) 62 64

*********************************************

Guangzhou Huangpu International Tennis Open
Guangzhou, China (ATP Challenger 100)

Singles 

[6] Alexis Galarneau
1st rd: lost to Sun Fajing (CHN) 75 36 75

Doubles 

Alexis Galarneau / Jody Maginley (ANT)
1st rd: lost to [2] Thijmen Loof (NED) / Kaito Uesugi (JPN) 62 63

*********************************************

Open Blot Rennes
Rennes, France (ATP Challenger 100)

Doubles

Justin Boulais / Patrick Zahraj (GER)
1st rd: def Karl Poling / Joshua Sheehy (USA) 64 64
QF: lost to [2] Arthur Reymond / Luca Sanchez (FRA) 64 64

Singles qualifying

[3] Justin Boulais
1st rd:  def [WC] Théo Arribage (FRA) 76 (0) 62
Final rd: lost to Matisse Bobichon (FRA) 76 (6) 63

*********************************************

Sport Festival Challenger II
Phan Thiet, Vietnam (ATP Challenger 50)

Singles 

[Q] Filip Peliwo (POL)
1st rd: def Tai Sach (AUS) 16 63 64
2nd rd: lost to [1] Moise Kouame (FRA) 61 42 retd

Singles qualifying

[1] Filip Peliwo (POL)
1st rd: def Arjun Rathi (IND) 63 64
Final rd: def [12] Sam Ryan Ziegann (AUS) 61 64

********************************************* 

M25 Sintra I
Sintra, Portugal (ITF $30K)

Singles

[Q] Benjamin Thomas George
1st rd: lost to Tiago Cacao (POR) 61 75

Doubles

Benjamin Thomas George / Jared Horwood
1st rd: lost to Vasco Leote Prata / Diogo Morais (POR) 64 64

Singles qualifying

[5] Benjamin Thomas George
1st rd: def Maksym Khiyvniuk (UKR) 61 61
2nd rd: def. Pedro Liborio (POR) 62 61
Final rd: def. [6] Alan Sau Franco (MEX) 63 64

[13] Maxime St-Hilaire
1st rd: def [WC] Afonso Almeida (POR) 64 60
2nd rd: def Tomas Vilaca (POR) 62 61
Final rd: lost to [6] Julien Penzlin (GER) 76 (4) 61

[ALT] Diego Lopato-Miguel
1st rd: def. [WC] Daniel Pinheiro Moura (POR) 61 63
2nd rd: lost to [11] Tyler Stice (USA) 62 62

Jared Horwood
1st rd: lost to [7] Pierre Antoine Tailleu (FRA) 64 62

Gabriel Miller
1st rd: lost to [4] Lrs Goran Verwerft (BEL) 64 64

*********************************************

*********************************************

Magic Hotel Tours by FTT
Monastir, Tunisia (ITF $15K)

Men’s singles qualifying

[WC] Chetanna Amadike
1st rd: def Mehiuli Don Ayanda Sibanda (ZIM) 06 62 [10-4]
2nd rd: lost to [5] Lucca Liu (CHN) 61 60

Rowan Blackbeard
1st rd: lost to Fedi Bennani (TUN) 60 retd

*********************************************

Tsaghkadzor Autumn Cup 2
Tsaghkadzor, Armenia (ITF $15K)

Singles 

[PR] Niels Peter Van Noord
1st rd: lost to [3] Ignacio Monzon (ARG) 61 75

Doubles

Niels Peter Van Noord / Denis Vishenchuk Vishenko (RUS)
1st rd: lost to [2] Vardan Manukyan / Egor Pleshivtsev (RUS) 75 64

*********************************************

Will it be No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev, who would win his second major title of the season in his third straight final on three different surfaces?

Or will be it the upstart Ben Shelton, who will demonstrate he’s not only ready for prime time now, but able to execute with all of the stakes and home-field pressure and history on his back.

All you could hope is that it’s a compelling final, to give the crowd some meat to dig into and to make a final without the “big two” worthy of show time.

It wasn’t, really. Zverev was just too good and Shelton just too tight.

(New York is on EDT).

*********************************  

US Open
Location: Flushing, New York
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Hard Court
Dates:  Aug. 30 – Sep. 13, 2026
Draws: S128 / D64

Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026
Final results

Men’s singles final 

[1] Alexander Zverev (GER) def. [8] Ben Shelton (USA) 63 76 (2) 57 62

–

–

–

********************************* 

If she was going to lose the No. 1 spot on Monday, Aryna Sabalenka at least hoped she might still leave New York with the U.S. Open title – her third in a row.

But new No. 1 Elena Rybakina would have none of it.

As annoyed as Sabalenka was when it was over, the reality was that she was just outplayed by an opponent who was, for the most part, on a cloud.

And, afterwards, was as ebullient as anyone has probably ever seen her in public.

(New York is on EDT).

*********************************  

US Open
Location: Flushing, New York
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Hard Court
Dates:  Aug. 30 – Sep. 13, 2026
Draws: S128 / D64

Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026
Final results

Women’s singles final

[2] Elena Rybakina (KAZ) def. [1] Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) 64 57 62

–

–

Men’s doubles final

[5] Christian Harrison (USA) / Neal Skupski (GBR) def. [6] Kevin Krawietz / Tim Puetz (GERE) 64 76 (6)

–

–

********************************* 

The 2021 US Open junior girls’ champions Ashlyn Krueger and Robin Montgomery were back in 2026 with a wild card into the main draw.

And they were in the final against the world No. 1s. After taking the first, though, the world No. 1 showed their quality.

Also (!!!) The men’s singles semifinals are on tap from 3 p.m.
With the highly anticipated all-American matchup going second.

It was okay. But in the end Ben Shelton showed why he’s ready for prime time.

(New York is on EDT).

*********************************  

US Open
Location: Flushing, New York
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Hard Court
Dates:  Aug. 30 – Sep. 13, 2026
Draws: S128 / D64

Friday, Sept. 11, 2026
Final results

Women’s doubles final

[1] Katerina Siniakova (CZE) / Taylor Townsend (USA) def. [WC] Robin Montgomery / Ashlyn Krueger (USA) 57 60 62

–

–

Men’s singles, semifinals

[1] Alexander Zverev (GER) def Karen Khachanov (RUS) 63 76 (7) 76 (6)

[8] Ben Shelton (USA) def [11] Frances Tiafoe (USA) 46 63 63 75

–

********************************* 

TNo matter what happens Thursday and this weekend, Elena Rybakina will leave New York as the No. 1 player in the world.

Whether she also leaves as US Open champion is the big question to be answered.

Meanwhile, the four top seeds made the final four. Which hasn’t happened that much recently, but is great.

Also great is the fact that two of them are Americans.

(New York is on EDT).

********************************* 

US Open 
Location: Flushing, New York
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Hard
Dates:  Aug. 30 – Sept. 13, 2026
Prize Money: $108,000,000
Draws: S128 – D64

Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026
Final results

Women’s singles, semifinals

[1] Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) def. [3] Jessica Pegula (USA) 75 62

[2] Elena Rybakina (KAZ) def [4] Coco Gauff (USA) 36 64 64

–

–

Men’s doubles, semifinals

[5] Christian Harrison (USA) / Neal Skupski (GBR) def [1] Harry Heliovaara (FIN) / Henry Patten (GBR) 76 (4) 62

[6] Kevin Krawietz / Tim Puetz (GER) def. Rajeev Ram (USA) / Joe Salisbury (GBR) 63 64

–

********************************* 

Gabriela Dabrowski was looking for another US Open final, this one with Luisa Stefani.

They faced a bit of a surprise team in young Americans Montgomery and Krueger. But dangerous.

Sadly for doubles fans with grounds passes pretty much all the doubles matches on the field courts are going on at about the same time – and not until late in the afternoon and evening.

They missed Dabrowski and Stefani being up 8-2 in the match tiebreak, with Dabrowski serving.

Only to have the young Americans win eight points in a row to make the final.

(New York is on EDT).

********************************* 

US Open 
Location: Flushing, New York
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Hard
Dates:  Aug. 30 – Sept. 13, 2026
Prize Money: $108,000,000
Draws: S128 – D64

Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026
Final results

–

Women’s doubles, semifinals

[WC] Robin Montgomery / Ashlyn Krueger (USA) def [2] Gabriela Dabrowski (CAN) / Luisa Stefani (BRA) 46 64 76 [10-8]

[1] Katerina Siniakova (CZE) / Taylor Townsend (USA) def [8] Elise Mertens (BEL) / Diana Shnaider (RUS) 60 76 (8)

–

–

Men’s doubles quarterfinals

Rajeev Ram (USA) / Joe Salisbury (GBR) def [2] Marcel Granollers (ESP) / Horacio Zeballos (ARG) 64 64 

[6] Kevin Krawietz / Tim Puetz (GER) def [3] Marcelo Arevalo (ESA) / Mate Pavic (CRO) 67 (4) 64 76 [10-7] 

[5] Christian Harrison (USA) / Neal Skupski (GBR) def. [4] Simone Bolelli / Andrea Vavassori (ITA) 63 62

–

[1] Harry Heliovaara (FIN) / Henry Patten (GBR) def. [7] Guido Andreozzi (ARG) / Manuel Guinard (FRA) 67 (7) 76 (3) 62

–

–

Canadian Juniors

Vihaan Reddy / Mason Vaughan (USA) def Benjamin Azar (CAN) /  Matei Victor Chelemen (ROU) 64 63 (Boys’ doubles, second round

 –

– 

– 

********************************* 

The math was actually pretty simple.

If Zheng Qinwen could beat Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalanka and Jessica Pegula were still alive to become No. 1 – or stay there – after the tournament.

For Gauff and Pegula, it would be a first.

Rybakina’s win means she reaches the semis and it doesn’t matter what she does after that, or if any of the others win the US Open.

She’s the new No. 1.

It’s fun when the stakes are this high, isn’t it? Zheng had a HUGE opportunity to spoil that party and make the two rounds a literal race for the title and the No. 1 spot. But she flinched just at the end, in her eighth match of the tournament.

(New York is on EDT).

********************************* 

US Open 
Location: Flushing, New York
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Hard
Dates:  Aug. 30 – Sept. 13, 2026
Prize Money: $108,000,000
Draws: S128 – D64

Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026
Final results

Women’s quarterfinals

[2] Elena Rybakina (KAZ) def [Q] Zheng Qinwen (CHN) 36 61 64

[4] Coco Gauff (USA) def. [5] Mirra Andreeva (RUS) 26 76 (7) 62

–

–

Men’s quarterfinals

[1] Alexander Zverev (GER) def Botic Van de Zandschulp (NED) 62 75 61

Karen Khachanov (RUS) def [28] Alexander Blockx (BEL) 62 75 32 retd

–

********************************* 

Americans Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro meet for the first time at a Grand Slam today.

The winner gets to the quarterfinals, and Pegula goes in with a 4-0 head-to-head.

But, people being as unimaginative as they are (and perhaps with a big tinge of envy thrown in), the headlines have all basically been variations on “Billionaires MEET at the Open!”

Like they’re somehow besties in some private billionaire girls’ club. Or something.

It shouldn’t have to be pointed out that their parents are the wealthy ones, not them (Well, apparently it does). What they inherit down the road isn’t exactly all that relevant to who they are today.

But their journeys are a fascinating study. They’re actually going against the grain by succeeding “despite” being born on third base.

You know those kids. You see them in the juniors. They have the best kits, the best racquets, the best coaches. They act like this by itself means they should win and rule and be champions. But almost in all cases, the opposite happens.

It actually works against them. Because tennis is REALLY HARD.

It doesn’t care what kind of a car you drive. The injury demons don’t spare you and the injury gods don’t heal you more quicklyl just because your dad pays your coach a lot of money. And there are thousands of other aspiring pros who want the same thing you do.

And, in many cases, their family’s lives depend on them making it.

Naomi Osaka has said as much out loud. In a terribly sad three-part documentary on her a few years ago, she said that if she hadn’t made it, her family would have been on the street.

And when they start in the pros, winning those two extra matches that week might mean they can compete again the following week. Those concerns, and fears, can create a hunger, an urgency you’re unlikely to have if you have a cushy fallback.

Those were slightly touchy subjects I brought up with Pegula during an interview I did at Indian Wells some years ago. She had just earned a main-draw wild card with her efforts at a series of (now defunct) Oracle-sponsored Challenger events. She had just broken into the top 100.

(It’s a sad truth that those days when you could actually do interviews like that, without being a TV rightsholder, are dead and buried. She was incredibly generous with both her time and her insights, despite my sound issues).

The roads to the top for these two were hardly straightforward.

Pegula needed years to find the way

Pegula was a good junior, not a great one. Her ITF junior ranking peaked around No. 60. She won a total of two ITF events, a Grade 3 and a Grade 4. She played the junior US Open three times and only won one match.

And then she persevered through a couple of long-term injuries – hip and knee – that might have knocked down a less-determined player.

Pegula was a couple of weeks from turning 25 when she finally broke into the top 100. And a couple of weeks from turning 27 when she finally broke into the top 50.

Now, it’s hard to remember all that. She’s become a fixture in the top five – guaranteed money (pardon the pun) on effort and consistency and one of the finest ambassadors the WTA Tour has.

For Navarro, a different path

Navarro came up almost a tennis generation behind Pegula, being seven years younger.

Unlike Pegula, whose parents have rarely been een as she forged her own path, Navarro has a tennis dad who ALSO happens to be very wealthy. And he’s … always there.

She got to No. 3 in the world in singles, and despite losing twice to Zheng Qinwen at the Orange Bowl, managed to take her in the semifinals of the Roland Garros juniors in 2019.

Leylah Fernandez beat her in the final, but she won the doubles.

She made the semifinals at junior Wimbledon a few weeks later.

And yes, she certainly got a TON of wild cards courtesy of her father’s connections, notably at the Charleston WTA tournament.

But she also choose to go to college for a bit.

And after she dedicated herself to becoming a pro, it all happened fairly quickly for her. She transformed her body at a cost that none of us can probably even fathom.

Still only 25, Navarro has had her challenges in the last year or so. But she looks to be on the comeup again.

Pegula 4-0

You can see above the two practicing together at Indian Wells in 2024.

That was an out-of-character tough period for Pegula. She often appeared frustrated. She shook up her comfort zone by making a coaching change and going with the two Marks (Knowles and Merklein).

A few weeks later, still exhibiting a lot of frustration, the two met for the first time in the round of 16 in Miami.

Pegula won that one, 7-6 (1) 6-3.

She also beat Navarro on grass at Bad Homburg the following year in three sets. And then in the quarterfinals in Beijing, also in three sets.

Their last meeting came just a few weeks ago, in the third round in Cincinnati. Also won by Pegula in straight sets.

They’ve been asked at times if they were friends – it’s like people just assume because both their parents are well off that they MUST have a lot in common and be besties.

But while they seem friendly enough and have been teammates multiple times for Billie Jean King Cup, they definitely run in different circles. Pegula has her posse of besties, is married and in a different phase of her career and life.

Navarro seems to mostly stick to herself, with her family around a whole lot.

Notably – at Roland Garros last year, she had BOTH parents on the practice court with her ahead of the tournament, for a practice session with Katerina Siniakova.

You don’t see this much – especially not from a top 10 player. Which she was at the time.

(That said, she won just one game in a first-round loss to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro there. So maybe there was just some kind of thing going on, and she needed to keep her parents close).

As they meet for the first time on tennis’s biggest stage at their home Slam, there’s a lot of subtext and intrigue to it all.

But despite the headlines you might be seeing, they are both there because they earned every little morsel of it.

Tennis is a hugely democratic sport that way.