Australian Open and French Open doubles champion, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, has received a wildcard into the US Open main draw. The tournament begins August 31st. The American, who is currently world number 100 in the WTA live rankings (world number 99 as of the most recent rankings), would have been the last entry into the tournament as it stands, unless Johanna Konta defeats Kirsten Flipkens for the Vancouver Challenger.

Should Konta win, she'll move into the top 100, knocking out Mattek-Sands out and her wildcard would help her avoid playing through the qualifiers again like she had in Wimbledon, where she made the third round. 

A look into the other seven qualifiers

Oceane Dodin is an 18-year-old Frenchwoman and was the only non-American player to receive a wildcard. She's currently ranked 133 in the world, which is her career-high. She was given wildcards into both Melbourne Park and Roland Garros and won her first Grand Slam match in Australia defeating Alison Riske in three sets.

Louisa Chirico is 19 years old and isn't too far from Flushing Meadows as she hails from Westchester, New York. The New Jersey born Chirico put her name on the map at the Citi Open in Washington DC. She defeated two top 70 players in Heather Watson and Alize Cornet before bowing out to eventual champ Sloane Stephens in two tight sets. 

Nicole Gibbs is a former NCAA Women's Single Champion as she defeated teammate Mallory Burdette for the title. The 22-year-old was the 2012 Pac-12 Player of the Year representing Stanford. She has played in all three Grand Slam main draw matches this year and is ranked two spots below Chirico who is 117 in the world.

Samantha Crawford is a 20-year-old from Tamarac, Florida. In 2012, she qualified for the US Open as a teenager, losing to fellow teenager Laura Robson in the opening round. She's ranked outside the top 200 in the world at 220 but has made three Challenger finals this year.

Sachia Vickery is a native of Hollywood. No not California, but Hollywood, Florida. The 20-year-old is a two-time winner on the Challenger Circuit this year. She won her titles in Plantation and Surprise, both in the United States. 

Sofia Kenin is a 16-year-old who hails from Michigan but was born in Russia. Last year, she won one of the most prestigious events in the juniors, the Orange Bowl. She won the USTA G18 National Championships this year over Tornado Black in three sets to earn her wildcard.

Last but not least is Jamie Loeb. Loeb is a 20-year-old, who also hails from New York like Chirico. Loeb, who plays collegiate tennis at North Carolina, won the Women's Single National Championship over Stanford's Carol Zhao in three sets. The victory gave her the direct entry into the tournament and was the school's first-ever NCAA singles champion.

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About the author
Noel John Alberto
Filipino-American sports journalist from Toms River, NJ. UMBC Graduate and aspiring physical therapist. Tennis editor and multi-sport coordinator for VAVEL USA. Writer for Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Serie A sections of VAVEL UK. Sports aficionado. Host of the On The Line tennis podcast.