Roland Garros Wild Card Challenge rounds halfway point with Paris in sight
Emilio Nava extended his lead while a group of several women's contenders continued to close the gap on leader Julieta Pareja as the Roland Garros Wild Card Challenge rounded the halfway point last week.
Nava reached the singles final at the USTA Pro Circuit ATP Challenger 75 in Tallahassee, Fla., before his Challenger win streak ended at 19 in the title match. Even so, the 23-year old extended his lead over second- and third-place Colton Smith and Chris Eubanks, neither of whom is playing a Wild Card Challenge-eligible tournament this week. Nava is among a group of American men playing this week's USTA Pro Circuit ATP Challenger 75 in Savannah, Ga., while big points could be available for any potential qualifiers at the Madrid Open ATP Masters 1000.
Read more: Tennis in his blood, clay in his shoes: How Emilio Nava slid into 19-match win streak
Similarly big points opportunities are available this week in a much closer women's Challenge. Varvara Lepchenko could make up ground through Madrid Open WTA 1000 qualifying, while Caty McNally and Whitney Osuigwe are among the group of U.S. women playing the USTA Pro Circuit W100 in Charlottesville, Va.
Women's Standings
(Player's current ranking in parentheses)
1. Julieta Pareja (335) -- 116
2. Caty McNally (287) -- 590
3. Varvara Lepchenko (120) -- 70
4. Louisa Chirica (151) -- 58
4. Whitney Osuigwe (179) -- 41
Men's Standings
(Player's current ranking in parentheses)
1. Emilio Nava (132) -- 119
2. Colton Smith (161) -- 63
T3. Chris Eubanks (108) -- 50
T3. Ethan Quinn (119) -- 50
5. Alfredo Perez (416) -- 33
Varvara Lepchenko at the 2024 US Open. Photo by Dustin Satloff/USTA.
Both the men's and women's wild cards will be awarded to the American players with the most ranking points earned—including qualifying and main draw points—at a maximum of three clay-court tournaments during a five-week window: March 31 through May 4. All red-clay and Har-Tru events at the W35 level and above for the women and the M25 level and above for the men, including WTA and ATP Tour events, will be included in the Challenge.
Americans who otherwise earn direct entry into the French Open, including those who enter with a protected ranking, are not eligible. Should the player with the highest number of challenge points earn direct entry into the French Open, the wild card will go to the next eligible American in the Challenge points standings. In the event of a tie, the player with the best ATP or best WTA singles ranking on Monday, May 5, will earn the wild card.
Read more on the USTA's Roland Garros Wild Card Challenge information page.
The USTA and FFT have a reciprocal agreement in which main draw wild cards for the 2025 French Open and US Open will be exchanged. The USTA utilizes this Challenge format to award wild cards into the Australian, French and US Opens.
Previous Americans to earn wild cards into the French Open via the Challenge and how far they advanced at Roland Garros are below, including Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul and Emma Navarro, who won the women's Challenge in 2023 to make her Grand Slam debut outside of the U.S.
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images.
Previous Wild Card Challenge Winners & Roland Garros Results
2024: Sachia Vickery (1R); Nicolas Moreno de Alboran (1R)
2023: Emma Navarro (2R); Patrick Kypson (1R)
2022: Katie Volynets (2R); Michael Mmoh (1R)
2019: Lauren Davis (2R); Tommy Paul (1R)
2018: Taylor Townsend (2R); Noah Rubin (1R)
2017: Amanda Anisimova (1R); Tennys Sandgren (1R)
2016: Taylor Townsend (2R); Bjorn Fratangelo (2R)
2015: Louisa Chirico (1R); Frances Tiafoe (1R)
2014: Taylor Townsend (3R); Robby Ginepri (1R)
2013: Shelby Rogers (2R); Alex Kuznetsov (1R)
2012: Melanie Oudin (2R); Brian Baker (2R)
Roland Garros 2025 will be held from May 25 - June 8 in Paris.
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