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Monday’s rankings – six weeks before the start of the event – are the benchmark for direct entry into this year’s US Open.

So the USTA released its preliminary entry lists on Tuesday. No doubt those will look a little different by the time the first Sunday (yes, Sunday) of the tournament rolls around.

Click here for the men’s singles entry list

Click here for the women’s singles entry list

Petra Kvitova finale

Petra Kvitova (No. 14), Sorana Cirstea (No. 37), Zhu Lin (No. 50), Anastasija Sevastova (No. 65), Wang Yafan (No. 71) and Danka Kovinic (No. 95) are all in with protected rankings.

That’s six – a lot, following recent trends in that direction.

So the last player directly in at this point is No. 99 Mayar Sherif, with Léolia Jeanjean and Nuria Parrizas Diaz the next two in line.

Kyrgios in on a protected

On the men’s side, Nick Kyrgios is entered with his protected ranking of No. 21.

Although you never know if he’ll make the date; best-of-five sets in the hot end-of-summer heat in Queen’s doesn’t sound like a great recipe for a guy who’s hardly played in two years.

He is entered in the mixed doubles with Naomi Osaka, although there’s no guarantee they’ll get in.

Sacrificing history, the US Open turns mixed into an exho

He’s due to play both singles and doubles (with Gaël Monfils) in Washington, D.C. next week. So we might have a better idea then.

Also in on protected rankings are Sebastian Ofner (No. 74) and Emil Ruusuvuori (No. 83).

So the last player directly in on the men’s side is Alexandeer Shevchenko at No. 101.

China’s Juncheng Shang, who had foot surgery in March, is on the entry list. But it’s hard to see him making it. Next in would be Elmer Moller of Denmark and, after him, another injured player in Cana-Chilean Alejandro Tabilo.

Every single player eligible by ranking is entered – so no one has yet proactively withdrawn.

Blasts from the past in qualifying

Star-studded early entry list for US Open mixed

Meanwhile, a lot of familiar names who’ve sort of fallen off the map are among those you’d expect to play the qualifying.

Notably, on the women’s side: Alizé Cornet, Madison Brengle, former top-20 player Martina Trevisan and Vitalia Diatchenko, who had a memorable match on Arthur Ashe Stadium against Serena Williams a few years ago.

Brady on the list!!!

Another notable name on the entry list: Jennifer Brady, the 2020 semifinalist who hasn’t played a match since the fall of 2023.

Brady, who turned 30 in May, has a protected ranking of No. 222.

She missed two years with foot and knee issues before returning to action this very week in 2023 at the Granby Challenger. She then played the Washington, D.C. event as well as Montreal (she beat Jelena Ostapenko in a third-set tiebreak in the first round), Cincinnati, the US Open and Beijing later that fall. She hasn’t played since then.

Brady had major knee surgery early in 2024.

There has been no sign of her at other tournaments, so perhaps its just aspirational. Still, it’s good to see her name on an entry list again.

On the men’s side, only Lloyd Harris has a protected ranking amongst the balance of the top 200, at No. 108.

Slowly, inevitably, the Slams have become an overcrowded, expensive slog

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