By Chris Oddo | Tuesday August 15, 2017
Maria Sharapova was awarded a main draw wild card into the U.S. Open and is set to make her first Grand Slam appearance since the 2016 U.S. Open.
Photo Source: AP
Maria Sharapova is headed to the U.S. Open. The Russian has been awarded a main draw wild card into the year’s final major, and is set to make her first Grand Slam appearance since returning from a 15-month doping ban this spring.
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Here’s part of the official statement from the USTA:
The USTA today announced that former US Open singles champion Maria Sharapova, young American Taylor Townsend, reigning US Open girls’ champion Kayla Day, 2017 US Open Wild Card Challenge winner Sofia Kenin, 2017 USTA Girls’ 18s national champion Ashley Kratzer and 2017 NCAA singles champion Brienne Minor have been awarded women’s singles main draw wild cards into the 2017 US Open. Also, Frenchwoman Amandine Hesse has received a wild card as part of the USTA’s reciprocal agreement with the French Tennis Federation. And as part of a reciprocal agreement with the USTA, Tennis Australia will award one additional main draw wild card to a player who will be announced at a later date.
According to the USTA, Sharapova’s previous suspension was not a matter of consideration in their decision.
The US Open also announced it’s main draw men’s singles wild cards. 18-year-old Canadian sensation Denis Shapovalov was not on the list.
The USTA today announced that rising young Americans Taylor Fritz, Bjorn Fratangelo, Christopher Eubanks, 2017 NCAA singles champion Thai-Son Kwiatkowski, 2017 USTA Boys’ 18s National Champion Patrick Kypson and US Open Wild Card Challenge winner Tommy Paul have been awarded men’s singles main draw wild cards into the 2017 US Open. Nineteen-year old Frenchman Geoffrey Blancaneaux was awarded a main draw wild card by the French Tennis Federation as part of its reciprocal agreement with the USTA, and Tennis Australia awarded its reciprocal agreement main draw wild card to 18-year-old Alex de Minaur.