Tomic's main draw drought continues as Australians struggle at US Open

Bernard Tomic's persistent quest to re-enter a Grand Slam main draw has hit another roadblock, with the Australian veteran falling at the first hurdle of the US Open qualifiers. Tomic, once ranked 17th in the world, has not reached the main draw of a major tournament since the Australian Open in 2021.

In a three-set match on Tuesday, local time, Tomic was ultimately outplayed by South Africa's Lloyd Harris, who is currently ranked 139th. Despite a second-set comeback, Tomic, now world number 179, could not overcome Harris, losing the match 6-2, 5-7, 6-2. This defeat marks the tenth qualifying event Tomic has entered in the past five years without success.

The struggles were not limited to Tomic, as other Australian hopefuls also faced early exits. Teenager Emerson Jones fought valiantly against the Netherlands' Suzan Lamens but ultimately lost in a tight three-set encounter. Similarly, veteran Alex Bolt was defeated in straight sets by Spain's Pablo Llamas Ruiz, leaving Australia still searching for its first winner in the qualifying rounds.