Former teenage prodigy Olivia Gadecki will make her US Open debut after successfully qualifying for the season’s final major in New York.
Gadecki crushed American Emina Bektas 6-1, 6-1 in less than an hour to boost Australia’s singles contingent to 14 players at Flushing Meadows.
Fellow Queenslander Kim Birrell lost her final-round qualifying encounter 6-3, 6-3 to American Fiona Crawley but earned a late entry into the main draw as a “lucky loser” following two withdrawals.
Canadian Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 US Open champion, and Spain’s Paula Badosa both pulled out injured.
Gadecki and Birrell give Australia five players in the women’s singles draw, joining returning 2022 quarterfinalist Ajla Tomljanović, Daria Saville and wildcard Storm Hunter.
Gadecki’s only previous appearance in the main draw of a major came at the Australian Open in January when the 21-year-old reached the second round after being awarded a wildcard entry.
The Gold Coast talent announced her arrival on the professional stage with a stunning victory over then-reigning Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in 2021.
She was an unranked 18-year-old when she defeated Kenin — world number four at the time — at the Phillip Island Trophy event at Melbourne Park.
Gadecki opted to sit out the 2022 Australian summer because she was not vaccinated against COVID-19.
She returned this year with a bang to record her maiden victory at a major to climb to a career-high ranking of number 144 in the world.
Gadecki will launch her US Open assault on Tuesday (AEST) against Russia’s world number 53 Mirra Andreeva.
