Jack Sock clinches Australian Open wild card

Jack Sock salvaged a difficult 2018 singles campaign with a quarterfinal run as the defending champion at the ATP Paris Masters, and the rankings points he earned there have proved to be enough to clinch the USTA’s 2019 Australian Open Wild Card Challenge for a guaranteed place in the Melbourne main draw this January. 

The former world No. 8 is currently ranked No. 106 in the ATP World Rankings, on the cusp of the usual cut-off mark for direct entry into the first major of the year. Should Sock receive direct entry, the wild card would go to the Challenge’s second-place finisher, which will likely be decided with this week’s results at the Oracle $150,000 Challenger in Houston and the USTA Pro Circuit $75,000 Challenger in Champaign, Ill. Reilly Opelka and Tommy Paul are currently tied for second place.

When Sock ended the 2017 season as the ATP’s top-ranked American and the world No. 8, it was the seventh consecutive season (2011-17) in which he improved both his year-end ranking and win total. While that streak will end in 2018, Sock more than made up for it on the doubles tour, teaming with Mike Bryan to win consecutive Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon and the US Open. He also paired with John Isner to win the Indian Wells title. 

The 26-year-old reached a career-high of No. 2 in the ATP doubles rankings in September and currently sits at No. 4. Sock will finish his year in London, competing in the ATP World Tour Finals doubles event with Bryan. Last year, he made his debut in the year-end singles tournament and reached the semifinals, defeating Alex Zverev and Marin Cilic in the group stage.

As Sock works to regroup and rediscover his singles prowess during the off-season, he can look forward to kicking off the new year in the Australian Open main draw, thanks to his first-place finish in the Wild Card Challenge.