Bernard Tomic has pulled out of US Open qualifying but still hopes to contest the final grand slam of the year for the 10th-straight year.
A one-time junior champion at Flushing Meadows, Tomic narrowly missed direct entry after slipping out of the world’s top 100 following a first-round Wimbledon loss to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
The 26-year-old is the third alternate and could still take a place in the 128-strong men’s singles draw if there are more withdrawals after the overnight scratching of 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro.
Tomic’s fellow Gold Coaster and former women’s champion Samantha Stosur, meanwhile, will feature in her 15th US Open after being handed a wildcard.
A stunning winner over Serena Williams in the 2011 final on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Stosur will join world No.2 Ashleigh Barty and fellow Australians Ajla Tomljanovic, Daria Gavrilova and Astra Sharma in the women’s singles in New York.
At 35, Stosur, who has slipped to No.131 in the world rankings but remains a 2019 Fed Cup final option for Australia, will be the third-oldest player in the draw behind 37-year-old Serena and the American’s sister Venus, who turns 40 next year.
Also a quarter-finalist at Flushing Meadows in 2010 and 2012, as well as a doubles champion in 2005 with Lisa Raymond, Stosur is among eight women to receive wildcards into the singles this year.
Stosur’s wildcard gives Australia 10 players in the women’s and men’s singles main draws.
Nick Kyrgios, Alex de Minaur, Jordan Thompson, 2018 quarter-finalist John Millman and teenage gun Alexei Popyrin will contest the men’s event from August 26.
Another 16 Australians have entered US Open qualifying – eight men and eight women.
AUSTRALIANS AT THE US OPEN (PREFIX DENOTES RANKING):
Women in main draw
2-Ashleigh Barty
46-Ajla Tomljanovic
83-Daria Gavrilova
99-Astra Sharma
131-Samantha Stosur
Women in qualifying
137-Priscilla Hon
162-Ellen Perez
169-Zoe Hives
188-Destanee Aiava
193-Lizette Cabrera
206-Maddison Inglis
231-Kaylah McPhee
236-Arina Rodionova
Men in main draw
27-Nick Kyrgios
38-Alex de Minaur
49-Jordan Thompson
61-John Millman
96-Alexei Popyrin
Men in qualifying
99-Matt Ebden
131-James Duckworth
134-Alex Bolt
166-Marc Polmans
183-Jason Kubler
197-Andrew Harris
212-Thanasi Kokkinakis
234-Akira Santillan
