Paul, Donaldson, Kozlov and Tiafoe Join Men’s Field
CINCINNATI (August 8, 2017) — Four Americans aged 20-and-under have been awarded wild card entries into the men’s field at the Western & Southern Open. Tommy Paul (20), Jared Donaldson (20), Stefan Kozlov (19) and Frances Tiafoe (19) will play in the main draw of the tournament that will be held August 12-20 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio.
“We are thrilled to welcome these four American rising stars to the Western & Southern Open,“ said Tournament Director Andre Silva. “There is an energy and buzz around the youth movement that is taking place in the game, and we’re excited to have the opportunity to see that firsthand.”
Paul, who was raised in North Carolina, has reached consecutive quarterfinals this summer in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. Those results propelled him to win the 2017 US Open Wild Card Challenge, and have cut his ranking in half since Wimbledon, pushing him to a career high ranking this week. In juniors, Paul was ranked as high as No. 3 after winning the French Open title and reaching the US Open final during the 2015 season.
Donaldson is a Rhode Island native who will be making his third main draw appearance at the Western & Southern Open, where he owns a 2-2 record. Last year, Donaldson reached the third round at the US Open, becoming the youngest American to do so since 2007. This summer, Donaldson has won at least one round in his last four events, including reaching the third round at both Wimbledon and Washington, D.C.
Kozlov, who lives in South Florida, was the junior finalist at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon while reaching as high as No. 2 in the junior rankings in 2014. He closed the 2016 season by claiming his first career Challenger title in nearby Columbus, Ohio. Kozlov will be making his Western & Southern Open main draw debut.
Tiafoe, one of just two teenagers in the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings, whose father is an immigrant from Sierra Leone who brought Frances to work while serving as the facilities manager of a tennis center in Maryland. In 2015, Tiafoe won the USTA Boys 18s title at Kalamazoo. The winner of two Challenger titles this season, he will be making his main draw debut.
The four join a men’s field that includes seven-time champion Roger Federer, two-time champion Andy Murray, former champion Rafael Nadal and defending champion Marin Cilic.
To see full player entry list click here.
