Who is Carlos Alcaraz's US Open 2024 1R opponent Li Tu? All you need to know about the 28-year-old making his main draw debut in New YorkÂ
Australia's Li Tu is Carlos Alcaraz's first-round opponent in the 2024 US Open. He is currently 188th in the ATP rankings and will feature in the main draw of the New York Major for the first time in his career.
Li was born on 27 May 1996 in Adelaide and made his ITF debut in February 2011. He competed on the ATP tour for the first time at the 2021 Murray River Open in Melbourne, losing to Portugal's Pedro Sousa in the first round.
Over the years, Li has played most of his tennis in the ITF and the ATP Challenger circuit. He won the ATP Seoul Challenger in 2022 and most recently clinched the ITF M25 event in Traralgon, Victoria, Australia.
The 28-year-old entered the main draw of the Australian Open in 2021, but couldn't get past Feliciano Lopez in the first round. He has only registered one win on the main tour so far at the 2023 Hall of Fame Championships in Newport. Li outfoxed Alexander Vukic in the first round, but fell to Mackenzie Mcdonald in the second.
Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz has been among the top players on the men's tour this year. After an ordinary start to the 2024 season, he silenced his critics with a successful title defense in the Indian Wells. The Spaniard then chalked up title-winning runs in the French Open and the Wimbledon Championships. He also reached the finals in the Paris Olympics, but settled for a silver medal finish against Novak Djokovic.
Alcaraz will enter New York on the back of a shocking second round exit in the Cincinnati Open, at the hands of Gael Monfils. He will eager to make amends and begin on a strong note in New York.
Carlos Alcaraz and Li Tu have never faced each other on the main tour
World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz and Li Tu have never faced each other on the main tour. While Alcaraz will be making his fourth appearance in the US Open, Tu will be making his debut this year.
The Australian has entered the main draw in New York this year via the qualifiers, beating Alejandro Moro Canas, Marco Trungelliti and Jesper De Jong. Tu lost the opening set against De Jong in the final qualification round, but bounced back to secure a 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 win and enter the main draw of a Grand Slam for only the second time in his career.
The winner between Li Tu and Carlos Alcaraz will take on either Denis Shapovalov or Botic Van De Zandschulp in the second round of the US Open.