Final Qualifiers Emerge to Main Draw

Nikola Bartunkova continued her steady form with a straight-sets win over American Louisa Chirico, improving to 9-3 on the season and moving closer into the Top 100.

Caroline Dolehide returned to the main draw in dominant fashion, by defeating Nao Hibino 6-1 6-1. After reaching the quarterfinals last year, she has quickly became a fan favorite and was met with an enthusiastic response from the Austin crowd, with eager fans lining up for autographs after her victory. 

During her on-court interview, Dolehide shared that she chose to prioritize her development this season, skipping the Australian summer of tennis to focus on the U.S. swing, including Austin, Indian Wells and Miami.

“I decided to put myself first and focus on getting to the level I wanted to be at”, she said. “There are a lot of international tournaments I could have played, but I love it here.” 

Americans Elizabeth Mandlik, Claire Liu and Whitney Osuigwe also secured their main draw spots, highlighted by a spirited performance from Osuigwe over 2024 champion Yuan Yue 6-4 6-3.

See full qualifying results here.