US Open Entry Lists Feature 32 Americans, but No Nadal; Western & Southern Qualifying Fields Announced; Recap of ITA Summer Circuit's Final Week

The entries for the US Open were announced today, with more suspense than usual given the travel restrictions and health concerns surrounding the pandemic. Men's World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has entered but No. 2 Rafael Nadal announced today that he would not participate in either of the two events in New York. Dominic Thiem, No. 3 in the rankings, is on for the US tournaments, but rehabbing ATP No. 4 Roger Federer and No. 9 Gael Monfils are out among the Top 10. The US Open article on the men's field is here.

WTA No. 1 Ashleigh Barty had announced last week she would not be playing in the US tournaments and No. 2 Simona Halep had expressed doubts, but she is on the entry list for now. Karolina Pliskova, ranked No. 3, and Sofia Kenin, No. 4, have entered, as has defending champion Bianca Andreescu, although she is likely to withdraw due to injury. The US Open article on the women's field is here.

The tours jointly announced today that the Madrid Open, rescheduled in the spring to be played after the US Open, has been canceled. An ATP Masters and a WTA Premier Mandatory, Madrid was expected to draw a strong field of Europeans not interested in traveling to the United States prior to the French Open.

The American men who received direct entry into the US Open main draw:
John Isner, Taylor Fritz, Reilly Opelka, Sam Querrey, Tennys Sandgren, Tommy Paul, Steve Johnson, Frances Tiafoe, Mackenzie McDonald, Marcos Giron, Denis Kudla, Jack Sock and Bradley Klahn. McDonald and Sock used protected rankings for entry.

The American women who received direct entry into the US Open main draw:
Sofia Kenin, Serena Williams, Madison Keys, Alison Riske, Amanda Anisimova, Sloane Stephens, Jennifer Brady, Danielle Collins, Coco Gauff, Bernarda Pera, Lauren Davis, Venus Williams, Taylor Townsend, Madison Brengle, Jessica Pegula, Christina McHale, Kristie Ahn, Shelby Rogers and Caty McNally.

The Western & Southern Open qualifying fields were released today, and because the draws are so much smaller, many of those in the main draw at the US Open are currently in qualifying for that tournament. Americans in the qualifying are Steve Johnson, Mackenzie McDonald, Bernarda Pera, Lauren Davis, Taylor Townsend, Madison Brengle, Jessica Pegula, Christina McHale and Kristie Ahn. Sam Querrey received main draw entry when Nadal withdrew.

Wild cards for both the W&S qualifying and US Open main draw have yet to be announced.

Week 7 of the ITA Summer Circuit wrapped up Monday, with all that remains of it the ITA National Summer Championships beginning Friday in College Station.

In Toledo Ohio, Michigan State rising junior Carson Gates, the No. 1 seed, took the men's top flight title, beating Ball State rising sophomore and No. 2 seed Vince Orlando, the son of MSU men's coach Gene Orlando, 6-2, 6-0.

No. 4 seed Rylie Hanford, a five-star rising junior, took the women's top flight, beating No. 2 seed Julia Fliegner, a five-star rising senior and Michigan recruit, 1-6, 6-3, 13-11 in the final.

At Wichita State, top seed Alex Richards, a rising sophomore at Wichita State, defeated No. 2 seed Cole Knutsen, a four-star rising senior, 3-6, 6-2, 10-4 in the final of the top flight of men's singles.

No. 5 seed Ellee Dryer won the women's top flight, with the four-star rising junior defeating top seed Lizanne Boyer, a five-star rising junior, 6-4, 6-2 in the final.

In Lakeland Florida, No. 7 seed Tygen Goldammer, a four-star rising sophomore, won the men's title, beating Cassius Chinlund, a blue-chip rising eighth-grader, 6-2, 2-6, 10-5 in the final.

Four-star rising junior Elizabeth Tindera, the No. 2 seed, won the women's title, beating No. 8 seed Savannah Webster, a four-star rising freshman, 6-2, 6-1 in the final. Webster is the daughter of UCLA women's head coach Stella Sampras Webster.

In Lawrenceville Georgia, the top seeds won the top flights. Tomas Rodriguez, a rising junior at Tennessee-Chattanooga, defeated Patrick Lazo, a rising junior at Georgia State, 6-2, 6-1 in the final. Rodriguez had finished runner-up last week at the Summer Circuit event in Murfreesboro Tennessee.

Emma Shelton won the women's title, beating five-star rising junior Akari Matsuno 6-1, 6-0 in the final.