Vicky Duval has maximized her chances on the big stage during her young tennis career. She's about to get another shot after more than a year away from the court.
Duval was one of eight women awarded wild cards into the U.S. Open on Tuesday. The announcement came just days after she returned to tournament play following treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma.
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The 19-year-old from Miami was diagnosed while she was at Wimbledon last summer, but fought through qualifying and upset 29th-seeded Sorana Cirstea in the main draw before stepping away from the game.
She made her comeback last week at the Koser Jewelers Tennis Challenge in Landisville, Pa., winning her first two singles matches to reach the quarterfinals before withdrawing after she retired from a second-round doubles match with cramping.
Sadly, my trip ended earlier than planned but, hey, quarterfinals of my first tourney back? I'll take it!!! #TimeToRecover #1StepAtATime ☺️
— Vicky Duval (@vicky_duval95) August 14, 2015Duval told the WTA's website earlier this month she might try to qualify for the U.S. Open tune-up event at New Haven to get in some matches before returning to Flushing Meadows — the scene of her breakout performance two years ago. She also made it through three rounds of qualifying in 2013 before shocking 2011 U.S. Open champion Samantha Stosur in the first round of the main draw.
"It's been an incredibly long journey, but I'm so ready to compete and can't see a better place to start than the U.S. Open," she said.
The other women's wild cards for the tournament went to Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Louisa Chirico, Samantha Crawford, Oceane Dodin, Nicole Gibbs, Sofia Kenin, Jamie Loeb and Sachia Vickery.
Men's wild cards went to 2001 champion Lleyton Hewitt, who will retire after January's Australian Open, Ryan Harrison, Jared Donaldson, Bjorn Fratangelo, Pierre-Hughes Herbert, Austin Krajicek, Ryan Shane and Frances Tiafoe.
