Ernesto Escobedo wins US Open Wild Card Challenge  

In a match worthy of a Grand Slam, Ernesto Escobedo defeated Bjorn Fratangelo to clinch a 2019 US Open men’s singles main-draw wild card.

The 23-year-old from Los Angeles cemented his first-place finish in the US Open Wild Card Challenge by defeating his compatriot, 7-6, 6-7, 7-6, in a nearly three-hour, third-round match at the USTA Pro Circuit ATP Challenger 90 event in Aptos, Calif. Fratangelo was the only remaining man who could have caught the frontrunning Escobedo, who held the challenge lead from Week 2.

He earned that lead by winning the ATP Challenger 90 event in Granby, Canada, in July. It was his third career ITF singles title, and his first since 2016. 

Escobedo will be making his third US Open main-draw appearance; he reached the New York second round in 2016 in his Grand Slam debut. In 2017, he competed in all four majors and achieved a career-high ranking of No. 67 in the world shortly after his 21st birthday. 

Since March of this season, he has been working with new coach Jan-Michael Gambill, who was ranked as high as No. 14 in 2001 during his playing career.

Kristie Ahn clinched the women’s wild card earlier in the week.

The challenge measures ranking points earned at hard-court tournaments over a five-week summer period to award a US Open singles main-draw wild card to an American man and woman who didn't otherwise earn direct entry.  For more information, visit the USTA’s US Open Wild Card Challenge homepage.