10 tries later, SU alum Gabriela Knutson qualified for Grand Slam main draw
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The gray skies hanging over the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York, had threatened to open all morning and douse the courts. On the outer courts, dozens of players looked to punch their tickets to one of tennis’ most prestigious tournaments, the U.S. Open, before the impending storm forced them inside for an indefinite amount of time.
Gabriela Knutson was no stranger to the situation — the qualifier bracket, that is, not the storm. It was her 10th time playing in a qualifier bracket, and she had no Grand Slam appearances to show for it. This time, though, everything was going her way.
Knutson, the world’s 163rd-ranked player, won the first set of her match against world No. 161 Ekaterine Gorgodze and led 4-3 in the second. But then, the skies opened. A rain delay was immediately called, so Knutson had to wait a little longer to earn her first Grand Slam main draw appearance.
“You’re so close, yet so far,” Knutson told The Daily Orange. “Anything can happen once the match restarts.”
Knutson, a Syracuse alum, is in her fourth full season in the Women’s Tennis Association, the highest level of female tennis. Despite her time on the circuit, Knutson hadn’t appeared in the main draw — the single-elimination final stage — of a Grand Slam. But at the 2026 U.S. Open, everything came together for Knutson, who earned her first main draw berth after 10 tries.
She showed her promise across her Syracuse career. Knutson’s 179 career singles victories remain the second-most in program history, while she was named a two-time All-American and was a finalist for Syracuse’s Female Athlete of the Year award in 2019.
“It took her a little time to play more mature tennis,” Syracuse head coach Younes Limam said. “She was getting close to her potential during her junior year.”
Gabriela Knutson readies a serve at the 2026 U.S. Open. Knutson attempted to qualify for the main draw at nine Grand Slams before making the cut at this year’s U.S. Open. Courtesy of Gabriela Knutson
After graduating from Syracuse, Knutson took a short hiatus from tennis before making her professional debut in 2022. She played tournaments on the Women’s World Tennis Tour for about a year until she earned enough points to move up to WTA 125 tournaments, the second tier of women’s tennis.
Knutson stayed there for about a year before qualifying for the WTA Tour in summer 2023.
Soon after, Knutson entered her first Grand Slam qualifier at the 2024 Australian Open. She came within striking distance of the main draw, reaching the third and final round of qualifying. Despite her valiant effort, Knutson fell to current World No. 43 Yuliia Starodubtseva in three sets.
Knutson was on the brink. It seemed she wouldn’t have to wait long for her first main draw. But that was anything but the case.
• • •
In Flushing Meadows, Knutson tried her best to keep things light during the delay. In one of the most stressful moments of her life, she stayed loose and kept her mood positive.
“I was trying to keep a relaxed atmosphere with her,” Knutson’s coach and brother Dominik Knutson said. “We were just waiting for the go-ahead.”
Despite remaining relaxed — or as relaxed as one could be in her situation — Knutson’s mind wandered to all the times she came achingly close to breaking through the qualifier brackets.
There was Roland-Garros in 2024, where Katarzyna Kawa brought Knutson tumbling back to earth with a humiliating 6-2, 6-4 first-round qualifying loss on the storied French clay. There was Wimbledon a month later, where Lulu Sun beat Knutson by one point to keep her from the final qualifying round.
A lot of thoughts came up during that time. I tried to minimize those thoughts as much as possible though.Gabriela Knutson, former SU tennis player
There was the other time she came to the U.S. Open in 2024, when she lost to Eva Lys in the first round of qualifying in straight sets. Then there were the three straight first-round qualifying exits in the other 2026 majors. Since that week in Melbourne in 2024, nothing had gone Knutson’s way in Grand Slams.
Yet when Knutson arrived in New York, a perfect storm was brewing around her. She was playing some of the best tennis of her career, making the finals in her most recent tournament, the Polish Open. It was also her first time playing in New York since 2024, giving her a rare chance to play in front of many friends.
“Her tennis was in a really good spot,” Dominik said. “That confidence in her game really helped her.”
In her first match, Knutson faced Varvara Lepchenko. Knutson picked up the first set 6-1, and despite Lepchenko making the second set competitive, Knutson won, clearing the first-round hurdle that plagued her previous three qualifier attempts.
The second round brought more of the same. Against Dominika Salkova, Knutson won the first set convincingly. In the second, Salkova never had a chance, as Knutson rolled to a 6-1 victory. Four sets after arriving in New York, Knutson was back where she hadn’t been since her first visit to Melbourne: the final qualifier round.
• • •
As the downpour continued, Knutson realized that, up to then, she hadn’t lost a set in qualifying. She could not only break through the qualifying stage, but do so by winning six straight sets.
“A lot of thoughts came up during that time.” Knutson said. “I tried to minimize those thoughts as much as possible though.”
At long last, the rain stopped, and Knutson went back out to finish off Gorgodze. As she walked to her court, she pushed every thought out of her mind. In that moment, the most important thing — the only important thing — was finishing off Gorgodze.
It didn’t take long for that to happen. Before the storm, Knutson led 6-4, 4-3. Under half an hour later, the score read 6-4, 6-4. After coming up short nine times, Knutson was through. In that moment, all the pain, all the times she’d been heartbreakingly close, came flooding back. It was all worth it.
“I’ve dedicated a lot of my life to the sport,” Knutson said. “To finally be acknowledged and feel like you made it is incredible.”
A first-round loss to Lys four days later somewhat dampened the mood, but the fact remained: she finally got in, and once you do it once, doing it again becomes easier.
“I know that it will come,” Knutson said. “As I continue to find success, my confidence will continue to climb.”
In taking 10 attempts to finally qualify, Knutson has learned the virtue of patience. After two attempts to qualify at the U.S. Open, it all finally came together for her.
What was another three hours of waiting?
