Heading into the 2024 US Open, 28-year-old Li Tu had only ever played in one grand slam - the 2021 Australian Open in which he received a wildcard.
Now the Adelaide-born journeyman is preparing for his second major match against a tennis superstar, as his ranking soars to career-highs.
The Sporting News looks at the progress of the 186th-ranked Tu as he prepares for his biggest match.
Li Tu results, schedule at US Open 2024
Tu qualified for the US Open, his second visit to a grand slam, by winning three consecutive matches through qualifying.
He even faced two match points in his final qualifying match against sixth-seed Jesper De Jong before triumphing to reach the main singles draw.
Tu's reward was a first-round match against third seed Carlos Alcaraz, who has won four grand slam titles including the US Open in 2022.
All times approximate.
| Date | Time (AEST) | Match | Score | Court | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue Aug. 20 | - | Alejandro Moro Canas (ESP) def. by Li Tu (AUS) | 6-4 6-4 | 9 | Men's singles - Q1 |
| Thu Aug. 22 | - | Li Tu (AUS) def. Marco Trungelliti (ARG) | 7-5 7-5 | 8 | Men's singles - Q2 |
| Fri Aug. 23 | - | [6] Jesper de Jong (NED) def. by Li Tu (AUS) | 3-6 6-1 7-5 | 6 | Men's singles - Q3 |
| Wed Aug. 28 | 11:00am | [3] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) vs. Li Tu (AUS) | Arthur Ashe | Men's singles - R1 |
Who is Li Tu?
Tu first competed on the ITF Futures circuit as a 15-year-old in 2011, but retired in 2014 at 18 years old.
He returned to tennis in 2020 and made his ATP debut with a wildcard into the Murray River Open 2021.
A few weeks later he made his grand slam debut at the Australian Open via wildcard, losing in the first round to Feliciano Lopez.
In 2022, Tu won his first Challenger title with victory in the Seoul event against Wu Yibing.
After battling to rise up the rankings in 2023, Tu reached a career-high ranking of 186 in March 2024, a couple of months after his first ATP win against countryman Aleksandar Vukic in Brisbane.
Tu is currently ranked 189 but is set to rise to a career-high ranking after reaching the main draw at the US Open - his second appearance at a major.
