Five Mid-Atlantic Athletes to Play in Main-Draw

The most anticipated tennis event of the year is finally here and while you can always count on tennis fans from the Mid-Atlantic to fervently follow along all the incredible action never missing a minute, this year will be even more special when we tune in to watch. 

Five Mid-Atlantic athletes are set to take the stage in the main draw: Frances Tiafoe, Denis Kudla, Hailey Baptiste, Robin Montgomery, and Usue Arconada. Fans watching back home in the MAS will surely be following these players with enthusiasm to see how these hometown tennis heroes progress. 

All five have grown up playing tennis in the Section and currently train at the Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC) in College Park, Md. Through all the hard work and dedication over the years, they are all stepping out on the grandest stage in tennis ready to make their mark and, no matter the outcome, make the Mid-Atlantic proud!

Frances Tiafoe made his debut in the main draw of the US Open in 2015 after losing in the qualifying round the year before. This year, the world number 81, is set to face Andreas Seppi [ITA] in R1. Earlier this summer, Frances tested positive for COVID-19, which impacted his return to play, but after following all the necessary steps and quarantining in his childhood home in Md., he is ready to go. In an interview with Washington City Paper, Tiafoe stated, “I’m locked in, so I’ll be out there. I’ve been hitting, sweating, just trying to get ready.” The Mid-Atlantic will be cheering you on, Frances.

Denis Kudla is returning to the US Open main draw for the seventh time. During the suspension of professional tennis from March to July 2020, Kudla remained committed to working out and training for his return to tennis, and it has paid off. Earlier this month, he won the first Lotto Elite Pro Tennis Challenge against Thai-Son Kwiatkowski in Reading, Pennsylvania. He will be facing Marin Cilic [CRO] in R1 of the US Open. Let’s go, Denis!  

Hailey Baptiste will be facing Kristina Mladenovic [FRA] in R1 at the US Open. Hailey is looking to win big in New York after her team won the World Team Tennis title in WV for the New York Empire. This year was Hailey’s World Team Tennis debut and it will be her first time playing in the main draw of the US Open. We are excited to watch her play both singles and doubles. 

Robin Montgomery, at age 15, announced on August 18 that she has officially turned pro and signed with IMG Tennis. She has made her mark in the tennis world by winning the Orange Bowl Championship in 2019 and winning her first pro-level title at an ITF World Tennis Tour W25 in March 2020. Last year, she made it to R3 of the US Open Juniors, and this year she received a wild card to play singles in the main draw. Montgomery will face Yulia Putintseva [KAZ] in R1 and Mid-Atlantic fans cannot wait to watch and cheer her on.

Usue Arconada made her debut in doubles at the US Open in 2019 with her partner, Hayley Carter. They lost in R1, but Usue is back and ready to go in 2020. She will be playing singles in the main draw after receiving a wild card. To date, Arconada has won four singles titles and six doubles titles on the ITF Women’s Circuit. We can’t wait to watch her take on Kaja Juvan [SLO] in R1 in New York.   

USTA Mid-Atlantic is so excited to celebrate the success of these athletes and watch them compete at the US Open. Each one of these five players is a role model for every junior in the Mid-Atlantic Section.

“These five athletes have grown and competed in the Section prior to their professional career for many years,” says Rachel Kros, senior manager of youth competition at USTA Mid-Atlantic. "I know many young players from the Section are inspired by these players because they have seen them out on the local courts working hard on their game and now to see them on the biggest stage in tennis is incredible. Each of them deserves to be there because they have put in the work to compete at such a high level and they give hope to other kids in the Mid-Atlantic that through hard work, determination, and sweat they could make their own tennis dreams and goals reality too,” Kros continues.

Follow these players’ journeys at the US Open by following their dedicated US Open Instagram and Facebook. We will be posting about their progress on our social channels too - you can follow USTA Mid-Atlantic’s Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to join the conversation. We will be highlighting their matches as they happen at the US Open.