US Open Preview: Six Canadians competing at final Grand Slam of the year 

The fourth and final Grand Slam tournament on the tennis calendar has arrived, ushering in two weeks of drama, excitement and top-tier competition at Flushing Meadows.

This year, Canada is represented in New York by six players — three men and three women. Although matches officially begin on Monday, the Canadians start singles play on Tuesday and doubles over the following two days.

Here’s a closer look at the six Canadian contenders at this year’s US Open.

Gabriel Diallo

Ranking: 143

2024 W-L record: 2-4

The 22-year-old Diallo secured his first-ever spot in the US Open main draw by winning his three qualifying matches this past week. He took down Japan’s Sho Shimabukuro and France’s Titouan Drouguet in three sets on Monday and Wednesday, respectively, before officially booking his main draw ticket with a straight-sets win over another Frenchman, Valentin Royer, on Thursday. 

The qualification is surely a career milestone for Diallo, who turned pro in 2023 and has appeared in the main draw of a Grand Slam only once before. The six-foot-eight Montrealer also qualified for the French Open earlier this year, which resulted in a first-round exit for him at Roland-Garros. 

Simply getting to compete in another Grand Slam is already a win for Diallo, considering the experience he will gain. That being said, there’s no doubt he’s setting a goal to advance further this time around. A first-round match against Spain’s Jaume Manur will determine whether that happens or not.

Leylah Fernandez

Ranking: 26

2024 W-L record: 22-18

Fernandez will be competing in both singles and doubles at the Open this year.

She begins her singles tournament against Anastasia Potapova, whom Fernandez has defeated in all four of their previous meetings, including two first-round matches earlier this year. Fernandez, a native of Laval, Que., reached the US Open final in 2021 but has since struggled to replicate that success, falling in the second and first rounds in the subsequent two years. 

The 21-year-old has three career titles to date but has yet to win one in 2024 and none of her titles are Grand Slams. 

On the doubles side, Fernandez is pairing up with Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva. Interestingly, the duo is set to meet with fellow Canadian Gabriela Dabrowski and her partner Erin Routliffe in the first round. Fernandez and Putintseva are likely to be riding momentum after coming off a strong performance at the Cincinnati Open, where they advanced to the final and finished as runners-up.

Denis Shapovalov 

Ranking: 105

2024 W-L record: 15-19

Although Shapovalov might not be having the strongest year — he's the only other Canadian on this list with a losing record, aside from the inexperienced Diallo — the 25-year-old has historically done very well at the US Open. Despite his ranking outside of the top 100, he was still able to directly enter competition this year using his entry protection.

He was unable to play in 2023 because of his knee injury, but since debuting at the major in 2017, Shapovalov has advanced to at least the third round in all six of his appearances. His best performance came in 2020, when he made it to the quarterfinals. He'll be looking to maintain his impressive US Open record when he takes on Botic Van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands in the first round. They met in the first round at Indian Wells earlier this year, a match Shapovalov won in straight sets. 

Shapovalov, from Richmond Hill, Ont., has not played a match since the National Bank Open at the beginning of August, where he exited in the first round with a straight-sets loss. His fellow Canadians each played at least one tournament between the NBO and the US Open.

He will also compete in the men's doubles tournament, partnering with South Korea's Soonwoo Kwon. This marks their first time teaming up and Shapovalov's first appearance in the US Open doubles draw since 2020.

Bianca Andreescu 

Ranking: 167

2024 W-L record: 8-6

The 24-year-old is the only Canadian to have won a Grand Slam singles title — and she did it right here at the US Open against the legendary Serena Williams. 

Andreescu, from Mississauga, Ont., pulled off the feat as a 19-year-old in 2019. Talking about the win in a piece published to The Players’ Tribune on Wednesday, Andreescu wrote, “It’s hard for me to put into perspective even now. I remember I went on Jimmy Fallon after, and people were literally following me, taking pictures. I felt like a celebrity. And, in a way, I was — I’d just won the US Open. But it didn’t feel real. None of it did.” Her two other career titles were won earlier that same year at Indian Wells and the National Bank Open.

She enters play this year as a wild-card recipient, marking her third appearance since her win. She withdrew last year due to injury and in 2020 because of travel concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Similar to Shapovalov, Andreescu has never lost before the third round of the US Open (in the years she entered the main draw).

Andreescu’s first-round opponent is Jasmine Paolini, whom she will be facing for the third Grand Slam in a row. Paolini, the world No. 5, defeated Andreescu in the third round of both the French Open and Wimbledon earlier this year. They will be the first players to meet in women’s singles at those three majors in a single season since Serena Williams and Justine Henin in 2007.

Felix Auger-Aliassime

Ranking: 19

2024 W-L record: 27-20

Surely looking to redeem his 2023 US Open performance, where he was bounced in the first round, Auger-Aliassime opens this year’s tournament with a match against Czech Jakub Mensik. The two have met just once before, in the second round of the Madrid Open this year, with Auger-Aliassime winning after Mensik retired. He eventually reached the final of that tournament, becoming the first Canadian to make it to an ATP Masters 1000 final on clay.

The 24-year-old Auger-Aliassime, the highest-ranked Canadian in singles, had his best Grand Slam performance at Flushing Meadows in 2021, when he reached the semifinals. He has five career titles but the Montreal native has yet to pull off a victory in 2024.

Auger-Aliassime enters the major on the heels of controversy. His third-round loss at the Cincinnati Open earlier this month received significant attention in the tennis world because of a missed call on a match point by the umpire that could not be reviewed. Fortunately for Auger-Aliassime and others, the US Open is less likely to face such controversies, as the major has video review implemented on eight of its courts.

Gabriela Dabrowski 

Ranking: 3

2024 W-L record: 25-10

The defending doubles champion will try to run it back.

Dabrowski, a native of Ottawa, and her partner Erin Routliffe of New Zealand won the 2023 US Open women’s doubles title. Routliffe is also Canadian, though she does not represent the country in competition. As mentioned above, the pair will face fellow Canadian Fernandez and her partner Putintseva in their first match.

Routliffe and Dabrowski have built significant momentum leading up to the major, having reached the finals in five of their last six tournaments. During that run, they won one title, at the Nottingham Open.

The 32-year-old Dabrowski is at her career-best ranking and is the highest-ranked Canadian overall in tennis. She has 16 career titles, including three Grand Slams, with two of those coming in mixed doubles. Dabrowski will also compete in mixed doubles with Britain’s Joe Salisbury, with their first-round match scheduled for Friday.

So, given her past achievements and recent performances, it's probably safe to say Dabrowski has the best chance among Canadians for success at this year’s US Open.