Monday is shaping up to be San Diego Day in New York. Both wild cards — Alyssa Ahn (San Diego) and Julieta Pareja (Carlsbad, Calif.) — are set to make their US Open women’s singles debuts on Monday. While the first-round matches are played Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, the two San Diegan standouts share the spotlight on the same day. Ahn will open against No. 19 Belgium’s Elise Mertens, and Pareja faces 2022 Wimbledon champion No. 9 Elena Rybakina.
Ahn, 18 years old and headed to Stanford this Fall, earned her bid after winning the USTA Girls’ 18s Billie Jean King National Championships on August 10 at Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego.
Pareja, only 16, is currently the No. 1 junior in the world. She reached the girls’ singles and doubles final at Wimbledon in July and made it to the semi-finals of the 18s National Championships in August.
They have their work cut out for them as they both got unlucky draws. Here’s why: The top 32 seeds are placed into the draw so that they avoid potentially having to face each other until the third round. The remaining 96 players are then randomly slotted into one of the 64 first-round matches. That means that the 96 players who are not seeded have a one in three chance of playing a seeded player in the first round.
Because Ahn and Pareja are not seeded, they could have been matched against the top seed, a qualifier, or any player in between. Unfortunately, they each were matched with seeded players. Bad luck.
You know what that means, don’t you? The San Diegans and teenagers will need some raucous cheering. Let them hear you from wherever you’re watching! By playing in the main draw, each player is guaranteed at least $110,000 in prize money.
🎾 Pareja vs No. 9 Rybakina | Mon, Aug 25 | Court 17 | Second match on Court 17. First match begins 11 a.m. Eastern | ESPN+ (possibly on ESPN)
🎾 Ahn vs No. 19 Mertens | Mon, Aug 25 | Court 5 | Second match on Court 5. First match begins 11 a.m. Eastern | ESPN+ (possibly on ESPN)
Check the schedule often for updates. Watch on ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN+.