Two-time US Open quarterfinalist Zheng Qinwen is one match away from securing her spot in this year’s main draw after the No. 14 seed defeated Clara Burel 6-1, 7-5 in the second qualifying round.
No. 121-ranked Zheng made an imperious start, sweeping to a 6-1, 3-1 lead with an overwhelming display of power hitting. In the first set, she dropped just two points behind her first serve, and saved the only break point she faced in the third game.
A spate of double faults in the second set allowed former No. 42 Burel back into the match, though. The Frenchwoman — on the comeback trail from an ACL injury that sidelined her for a year, and now ranked No. 410 — delivered impressive hustling to take a 5-4 lead and come within two points of the set at 30-30 on Zheng’s serve.
However, the Olympic gold medalist found a clutch forehand winner to avoid facing set point. By contrast, Burel’s offensive tennis didn’t match up to her defensive plays — she tallied just four winners to 17 unforced errors — and Zheng came through the last three games in a row to triumph in 1 hour and 34 minutes.
Zheng will next face 20-year-old Elena Pridankina, who defeated Rebecca Marino 6-2, 6-4 in 1 hour and 20 minutes. No. 186-ranked Pridankina qualified for her first Grand Slam main draw at Roland Garros this year, and is bidding to repeat the feat in Flushing Meadows.
Andreescu, Montgomery win in straight sets
Former champion Bianca Andreescu also moved within one win of a US Open main-draw berth with a comfortable 6-1, 6-3 win over Veronika Podrez. The Canadian will face former French Open semifinalist Tamara Zidansek, who battled past Guiomar Maristany Zuleta De Reales 7-5, 6-3 in another second-round match. The pair previously met in the first round of Roland Garros 2021, with Zidansek winning a 6-7(1), 7-6(2), 9-7 barnburner in 3 hours and 20 minutes and then going all the way to the semifinals.
Andreescu will be hoping to make her second Grand Slam main draw in the last two seasons after reaching the Wimbledon main draw in June. The 26-year-old is ranked No. 183 in the world. If she gets through qualifying, she will become the eighth former champion in the main draw, joining Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, Naomi Osaka, Emma Raducanu, Sloane Stephens and Venus Williams in the 128-player draw.
Elsewhere, an intriguing matchup saw ‘s-Hertogenbosch champion Robin Montgomery deliver a spectacular serving performance to defeat last year’s junior titlist Jeline Vandromme 7-5, 6-3. The 21-year-old American landed five aces, conceded just eight points behind her first serve and was broken only once.
That was her first attempt at serving out the first set — Montgomery also squandered three set points in that game — but she steadied herself to hold off 18-year-old Vandromme’s comeback attempt. Montgomery, who was in the middle of a nine-month layoff due to a wrist injury this time last year, will face Carson Branstine in the final qualifying round.
Branstine is playing her first tournament since the Australian Open, where she was forced to retire in the second round of qualifying due to a shoulder injury. Now ranked No. 565, the Canadian overpowered Linda Fruhvirtova 6-4, 7-5 to come within a match of her US Open main-draw debut.
Liutova leads young brigade into final round of qualifying
Sixteen-year-old Kristina Liutova took another step toward her Grand Slam main-draw debut with a hard-fought 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 win over Lola Radivojevic in 2 hours, 17 minutes. She next faces 25-year-old Martyna Kubka of Poland, who knocked out No. 21 seed Marina Bassols Ribera. Kubka is also looking to make her first Grand Slam main-draw appearance.
American Julieta Pareja, aged 17, is one win away from returning to the main draw for the second year in a row. Pareja defeated Iryna Shymanovic 6-4, 6-2 in 1 hour, 24 minutes. She faces No. 28 seed Lucrezia Stefanini, who knocked out American veteran Madison Brengle 6-2, 6-3.
Another teen, 18-year-old Czech Vendula Valdmannova, also moved into the final round of qualifying with a comeback 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 win over No. 25 seed Aliaksandra Sasnovich. She next meets No. 8 seed Elvina Kalieva of the United States, who also rallied from a set down to beat Belgian Sofia Costoulas 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Meanwhile, 20-year-old Mia Ristic is also one victory away from her Grand Slam main-draw debut after reaching the third round of qualifying. Ristic defeated Francisca Jorge 6-1, 6-3 and next meets No. 23 seed Himeno Sakatsume, who defeated Tyra Caterina Grant 5-7, 6-2, 6-3.
Other notable US Open qualifying second-round results
- Mariam Bolkvadze was one of the surprise packages of Wimbledon qualifying, reaching her first Grand Slam main draw in seven years while ranked No. 545 and using a special ranking. The Georgian went 0-3 between Wimbledon and the US Open, but has found her best form on the Grand Slam stage again. She defeated Alevtina Ibragimova 6-4, 6-3 and is a match away from her first US Open main draw since 2019.
- Chennai quarterfinalist Polina Iatcenko is one win away from her Grand Slam main-draw debut after the 22-year-old, ranked No. 160, upset No. 7 seed Lucia Bronzetti 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
- Two British women will face off in the final round for a spot in the main draw. No. 29 seed Harriet Dart defeated Kristina Penickova 5-7, 6-0, 6-3 and will meet Heather Watson, who needed 2 hours, 51 minutes to beat Angela Fita Boluda 6-4, 5-7, 7-6. Watson leads their head-to-head series 2-1 on the tour.
- No. 3 seed Francesca Jones of Great Britain also advanced to the final round of qualifying with a 7-6(3), 1-6, 6-2 win over Mona Barthel. She will face Joanna Garland, who defeated Priscilla Hon 6-3, 6-4. However, another British woman was not as fortunate, as Katie Swan fell to No. 17 seed American Mary Stoiana 6-7, 6-3, 6-3. Stoiana will face No. 13 seed Yue Yuan, who scored a 6-3, 6-2 win over Julia Avdeeva.
- Australian veteran Storm Hunter battled back from the brink, saving two match points late in the second set before rallying to beat Ku Yeonwoo 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-0 and move into the final round of qualifying. Hunter, a former world No. 1 in doubles and US Open doubles champion, will next meet No. 4 seed Darja Semenistaja, who scored a 7-6(5), 6-4 win over Alexandra Shubladze.
- No. 31 seed Andrea Lazaro Garcia pulled off the greatest escape of the day, saving seven match points before overcoming Mai Hontama 5-7, 7-6(6), 6-1. Hontama led 5-3 in the second set and held four match points on Lazaro Garcia’s serve at 5-4, then triple match point in the tiebreak.
- Lucie Havlickova, the 2022 US Open junior finalist, also won from match point down, saving one serving down 5-4 in the third set against No. 2 seed Moyuka Uchijima before pulling through 6-2, 2-6, 7-6[6]. The result was 21-year-old Havlickova’s third career Top 100 win, and second of 2026.
2026 US Open final qualifying round
[SR] Carson Branstine (CAN) vs. Robin Montgomery (USA)
Lucie Havlickova (CZE) vs. Nao Hibino (JPN)
[3] Francesca Jones (GBR) vs. Joanna Garland (TPE)
[4] Darja Semenistaja (LAT) vs. Storm Hunter (AUS)
Susan Bandecchi (SUI) vs. Arantxa Rus (NED)
[SR] Heather Watson (GBR) vs. [29] Harriet Dart (GBR)
Polina Iatcenko vs. [31] Andrea Lazaro Garcia (ESP)
[8] Elvina Kalieva (USA) vs. Vendula Valdmannova (CZE)
[WC] Julieta Pareja (USA) vs. [28] Lucrezia Stefanini (ITA)
Tamara Zidansek (SLO) vs. Bianca Andreescu (CAN)
Gabriela Knutson (CZE) vs. Ekaterine Gorgodze (GEO)
Mia Ristic (SRB) vs. [23] Himeno Sakatsume (JPN)
[13] Yuan Yue (CHN) vs. [17] Mary Stoiana (USA)
[14] Zheng Qinwen (CHN) vs. Elena Pridankina
[SR] Mariam Bolkvadze (GEO) vs. Anouk Koevermans (NED)
[16] Kristina Liutova vs. Martyna Kubka (POL)