The first week of the USTA’s Australian Open Wild Card Challenge is in the books.
Chris OddoOctober 15, 20262 minute read
Elvina Kalieva has taken the early lead in the USTA’s 2027 Australian Open Wild Card Challenge, thanks to a semifinal appearance at the WTA 125 event in Suzhou, China.
The 23-year-old American, ranked No. 112, has earned 49 points through the first of five weeks of competition, with Kaitlyn Carnicella (33 points) and Fiona Crawley (27) rounding out the top three.
Madison Brengle and Claire Liu are fourth and fifth, respectively.
Women’s Wild Card Challenge Standings
After Week 1 of 5 — October 15, 2026
| Rank | Player | WTA Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elvina Kalieva | 112 | 49 |
| 2 | Kaitlyn Carnicella | 674 | 33 |
| 3 | Fiona Crawley | 208 | 27 |
| 4 | Madison Brengle | 188 | 20 |
| 5 | Claire Liu | 96 | 15 |
The women’s competition, which began October 5 and concludes the week of November 2, awards a main-draw wild card to the eligible American who earns the most ranking points from a maximum of three tournaments.
Meanwhile, the men’s Australian Open Wild Card Challenge gets underway October 19 and runs through the week of November 16, with players counting their best four tournament results.
The wild cards are awarded through a reciprocal agreement between the USTA and Tennis Australia.
Previous Australian Open Wild Card Challenge Winners
Includes Australian Open singles results (1R = first round, etc.)
| Year | Men’s Wild Card | Women’s Wild Card |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Patrick Kypson (1R) | Elizabeth Mandlik (1R) |
| 2025 | Nishesh Basavareddy (1R) | Iva Jovic (2R) |
| 2024 | Patrick Kypson (1R) | McCartney Kessler (2R) |
| 2023 | Chris Eubanks (2R) | Taylor Townsend (2R) |
| 2022 | Stefan Kozlov (2R) | Robin Anderson (1R) |
| 2020 | Marcos Giron (1R) | CoCo Vandeweghe (1R) |
| 2019 | Jack Sock (1R) | Whitney Osuigwe (1R) |
| 2018 | Tim Smyczek (2R) | Kristie Ahn (1R) |
| 2017 | Michael Mmoh (1R) | Kayla Day (1R) |
| 2016 | Noah Rubin (2R) | Samantha Crawford (1R) |
| 2015 | Denis Kudla (1R) | Irina Falconi (2R) |
| 2014 | Steve Johnson (1R) | Sachia Vickery (1R) |
| 2013 | Rhyne Williams (1R) | Madison Keys (3R) |
| 2012 | Jesse Levine (1R) | Madison Keys (1R) |
| 2011 | Ryan Harrison (1R) | Lauren Davis (1R) |
| 2010 | Ryan Harrison (1R) | CoCo Vandeweghe (1R) |
| 2009 | John Isner (1R) | Christina McHale (1R) |
| 2008 | Jesse Levine (2R) | Madison Brengle (1R) |
| 2007 | No competition | Madison Brengle (1R) |
