In cooperation with the InterCollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), the United States Tennis Association (Usta) announced that the Playoffs of the US Open Wild Card will take place from June 16 to 18 at the Usta National Campus.
The new event is part of an extended NCAA-bound Wild Card Pilot Program, the average number of American collegiate players who earn US Open Wild Cards every year with six guaranteed US Open Wild Card entries.
The winners of a playoff for men and women with four players and a four-team playoff for men and women’s doubles will bring us the main and double game cards, while the finalists of men and women earn open qualification cards for women.
Participation in the playoffs is determined by a committee that consists of Usta employees, college tennis trainers and an ITA representative. Every American player or the American double that wins the NCAA single or double championship or reaches the final of the singles or doubles at the NCAA -Di individual championships held in autumn will automatically qualify for the playoffs. The remaining slots are awarded by the committee, which will evaluate players on a number of factors, including 2024-25 game record, ITA ranking, ATP/WTA ranking, professional results, WTN rating and head-to-head results.
Michael Zheng, the NCAA-Singles champion from Columbia last autumn and the NCAA Singles second from the spring of 2024, will probably be one of the competitors.
This pilot program coincides with the individual NCAA-DI championships, which are shifting until at least in the 2025-26 season.
Previously, the Usta awarded the American NCAA -Singles or Double Champions with a US Open Haupt -Rated Card, while a finalist from the American NCAA -Singles received a qualified game card. In the past 10 years, average less than three US Open Wild Cards connected to NCAA have been awarded per year, although former college tennis players who have success on the professional race track are increasingly widespread.
American NCAA champions that previously benefited from the US Open Wild Card to start their professional careers Danielle Collins (Virginia – 2014, ’16); Mackenzie McDonald (UCLA – 2016); Emma Navarro (Virginia – 2021); Ben Shelton (Florida – 2022); And Peyton Stearns (Texas – 2022).
