Wild Card Kristie Ahn and Qualifier Taylor Townsend Reach Round of 16 at US Open

Ten Different American Women Have Now Reached the Round of 16 at a Grand Slam Event in 2019

August 31, 2019 — Americans Kristie Ahn and Taylor Townsend each advanced to the round of 16 at the US Open on Saturday, a notable pair of results for American women at the US Open and in the 2019 season.

Ahn, a wild card entry, and Townsend, a qualifier, are the first American duo of a qualifier and a wild card to reach the round of 16 at the US Open since wild-card records started being kept in 1987. Ahn earned her wild card through the USTA’s US Open Wild Card Challenge and is the first Challenge winner, male or female, to reach the round of 16 at the US Open in eight years of the Challenge.

Taylor Townsend during opening round of action at the 2019 U.S. Open Championships.
Photo credit: Denise Saul/WSENetwork

Ahn and Townsend also made it 10 American women to have reached the round of 16 or better at a Grand Slam event in 2019:

Serena Williams (QF, Aus. Open; F, Wimbledon, R16+, US Open)

Sloane Stephens (R16, Aus. Open; QF, French Open)

Madison Keys (R16, Aus. Open, QF, French Open; R16+, US Open)

Danielle Collins (SF, Aus. Open)

Amanda Anisimova (R16, Aus. Open; SF, French Open)

Alison Riske (QF, Wimbledon)

Coco Gauff (R16, Wimbledon)

Sofia Kenin (R16, French Open)

Kristie Ahn (R16+, US Open)

Taylor Townsend (R16+, US Open)