Stanford University will be represented by three underclassmen at the upcoming US Open in New York. Freshman Monika Ekstrand has received a wild card to participate in the US Open Qualifying tournament, which will take place from August 18-21 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Ekstrand is among nine American women granted a qualifying wild card. She joins sophomore Valerie Glozman and freshman Alyssa Ahn, who have both secured singles main draw wild cards. Glozman earned her spot by winning the inaugural American Collegiate Wild Card Playoffs in June, while Ahn qualified after claiming the singles title at the USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 18s National Championships. All three athletes are 18 years old.
Ekstrand has recently shown strong results on the professional circuit. Last month, she reached the final of a W100 event in Cary, North Carolina as a qualifier and has claimed two professional singles titles this year—one at a W35 event in Jackson, Mississippi in April and another at a W35 event in Boca Raton, Florida in May.
Both Ekstrand and Ahn are part of Stanford’s incoming recruiting class, which is ranked No. 1 nationally. They join Tianmei Wang as blue-chip recruits according to the Tennis Recruiting Network and are listed among the top five high school seniors set to enroll on college campuses this fall.
“Stanford women’s tennis will have three underclassmen in New York for the US Open. Freshman Monika Ekstrand was one of nine American women to receive a wild card into the US Open Qualifying tournament, held August 18-21 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center,” reads an official statement from Stanford Athletics.
