Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open women’s champion, along with Canadian player Carson Branstine, both secured victories on Wednesday to progress to the final stage of the U.S. Open qualifying rounds.
Hailing from Mississauga, Ontario, Andreescu triumphed over Ukraine’s Veronika Podrez with an impressive 6-0, 6-3 score in the second round of the women’s singles qualification event. The 26-year-old Canadian managed to break her opponent’s serve five times out of 12 opportunities, earning a spot in the upcoming match against either Tamara Zidansek from Slovenia or Guiomar Maristany from Spain.
Branstine, a 25-year-old dual citizen born in California but representing her mother’s homeland, secured a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Czech player Linda Fruhvirtova. She capitalized on all five break-point chances and delivered 22 winners compared to Fruhvirtova’s eight. Branstine is set to face Robin Montgomery of the United States in the next round for a chance to secure a place in the main draw.
Notably, Andreescu made history during the 2019 U.S. Open by becoming the first Canadian to win a singles Grand Slam, defeating the renowned Serena Williams in the final. She last competed in the tournament in 2024, facing a first-round loss against Maria Sakkari.
In contrast, Branstine faced a first-round exit in the previous year’s U.S. Open qualifying rounds. Her Grand Slam debut occurred earlier in 2025 at Wimbledon, where she emerged from the qualifiers, defeating her friend and occasional doubles partner, Andreescu, in the process.
During the second-round qualifying matches on Wednesday, Vancouver’s veteran player Rebecca Marino suffered a 6-2, 6-4 defeat against Russia’s Elena Pridankina. In men’s qualifying action, Alexis Galarneau from Levis, Quebec, lost 7-6 (3), 6-2 to Czech player Dalibor Svrcina. Another Canadian player, Liam Draxl from Newmarket, Ontario, was scheduled to challenge American Andrew Johnson later in the day.
