The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Stearns concludes run at U.S. Open in the Round of 16
09.04.2023 | Women's Tennis
Former Longhorn advances to the fourth round of a major for the first time in her professional career.
NEW YORK, N.Y. — Former University of Texas star Peyton Stearns saw her impressive run at the 2023 U.S. Open come to an end in the Round of 16 with a hard-fought 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 6-2 defeat to reigning Wimbledon champion and current WTA (World Tennis Association) No. 9 Marketa Vondrousova on Monday inside Louis Armstrong Stadium. Stearns became the sixth NCAA women's singles champion to advance to the fourth round of the U.S. Open and joined Patty Fendick-McCain (Stanford, 1988) as the only players to accomplish the feat within two years of winning the NCAA singles crown.
Stearns advanced to the Round of 16 by posting three-consecutive straight-set victories. She opened play in the main draw with a 6-3, 6-4 win against No. 82 Viktoriya Tomova in the first round last Tuesday. Stearns then earned a dominant 6-3, 6-0 victory over No. 87 Clara Tauson in the second round on Thursday. She followed with a 6-4, 6-3 win against No. 61 Katie Boulter in the third round on Saturday.
Stearns recorded her second outstanding effort in a major tournament during the 2023 calendar year, as she previously reached the third round (Round of 32) at The French Open in late May. Just 21 years old and less than 16 months removed from when she turned professional, Stearns began play in the U.S. Open at No. 59 in the WTA rankings and should move into the top 50 for the first time in her career.
Stearns concluded her career at Texas in 2022 after leading the Longhorns to back-to-back NCAA team titles (2021 and 2022). As a sophomore in 2022, she became the first player in program history to capture the NCAA Singles Championship. Stearns was named the ITA National Player of the Year, an honor given annually to the player who ends the season ranked No. 1 in the final National Singles rankings. She also was the recipient of the Class of 2022 Honda Sport Award for Tennis by the Collegiate Women Sports Awards.
Peyton Stearns' run at the 2023 U.S. Open
|
Date |
Round |
Opponent |
Result |
|
Aug. 29 |
Round of 128 |
WTA #82 Viktoriya Tomova |
W, 6-3, 6-4 |
|
Aug. 31 |
Round of 64 |
WTA #87 Clara Tauson |
W, 6-3, 6-0 |
|
Sept. 2 |
Round of 32 |
WTA #61 Katie Boulter |
W, 6-4, 6-3 |
|
Sept. 4 |
Round of 16 |
WTA #9 Marketa Vondrousova |
L, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 6-2 |
