At the 2019 US Open, Robin Montgomery and Katrina Scott, each unseeded, squared off in the third round of the junior girls' singles event, with Scott winning in straight sets en route to a quarterfinal performance.
Twelve months later, the two American teenagers are back in Queens, but this time, as two of the 128 players in the tournament's women's singles draw. When asked on Thursday if she could have ever imagined that scenario last summer, Montgomery could hardly contain her smile—even while wearing a mask.
"No," she chuckled, "it never came across my mind."
Montgomery, 15, and Scott, 16, are two of eight wild cards in the women's field at the 2020 US Open, and as a result, each will make her Grand Slam main-draw debut when the tournament begins.
That in itself is a milestone on its own, but for these two, it goes even further. Having only combined to play five qualifying matches at WTA events previously, the event marks the first-ever WTA main-draw appearance for either player. Despite their relative inexperience at sport's highest levels, however, both have already flashed their potential when they've dipped into the women's ranks.
Boasting a junior world ranking of No. 5, Montgomery (pictured, above) is a participant in the USTA Foundation's Excellence Program, a development program that provides coaching, training and financial resources for some of the most promising athletes who participate in National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) tennis programs around the U.S. The left-hander trains at the famed Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC) in College Park, Md., which also boasts ATP pros Frances Tiafoe and Denis Kudla among its many alumni.
Before worldwide tennis ground to a halt in March as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Montgomery won her first professional tournament at the $25,000 ITF World Tennis Tour event in Las Vegas. Earlier this summer, she reflected on her maiden title as a "stepping stone" toward her career goals, but admitted that she entered her fourth-ever professional event with intentions that did not include walking away with the trophy.
"It was a roller-coaster, really. I was just going there wanting to test the waters of the pro level and see what I would have to do to compete at that level," she said in May during a USTA Foundation webinar with younger Excellence Program participants, revealing that she only first thought of winning the title prior to playing the final.
"When I went through every round, all of the challenges were different. I just took it one step at a time, one match at a time, one point at a time. I was just trying to take in all of the matches, and getting the opportunity to play against very different opponents and older players.
"It was definitely a shocker [to win the tournament]. It was definitely a lot to take in at the moment. It was a wonderful experience, very unforgettable. I cried a little bit, because it all happened so fast when the [umpire] said, 'Game, set, match.' It was amazing."
Scott (below, right), who turned 16 in June, already turned heads at Flushing Meadows last year as a women's qualifying wild card. Ranked world No. 1,047 at the time, she won her opening qualifying match against then-world No. 234 Katie Swan of Great Britain, and ended 2019 by reaching the semifinals at a $25,000 ITF event.
Just two weeks after last year's Open concluded, the pair teamed up to lead Team USA to its third consecutive junior Fed Cup title alongside Connie Ma, 17. Montgomery later went on to capture the prestigious Orange Bowl title in the under-18 division in December.
"Spending a lot of time with Katrina and having many successes together... it definitely means a lot playing [here] and having the chance to experience this together," Montgomery said. "I'm really happy for her, and I'm happy for me that we both have a chance to showcase our talents together in the same year."
And with all that said, those around women's tennis are taking notice of them, too.
Former world No. 35 Meilen Tu said Scott "has all the pieces to become one of the world's top tennis players" when the Californian announced her decision to turn professional in November, and prior to the start of this week's Western & Southern Open, another American teenager who knows a thing or two about making a splash in the women's ranks—Coco Gauff—spoke glowingly about the Washington, D.C. native.
“I know Robin very well. I believe we first met when we were 8 years old, so I’ve known her for a long time, and I’m really happy for her that she was able to get the wild card,” Gauff said. “She definitely deserved it. I’m wishing her the best. She’s a very big hitter. She has a great serve. She’s gonna do well and make some noise here.”
Montgomery, who announced her own decision to turn professional earlier this month, also competed in qualifying at the first event in the New York bubble at the Western & Southern Open. She accounted for herself well in a defeat to former world No. 21 Sorana Cirstea, a 30-year-old Romanian who played her first WTA event in 2006—two years after Montgomery was born.
In what's already a US Open for the all-time annals, the 2020 tournament will no doubt also occupy a special place in each player's personal history books.
"To receive the opportunity to play in my first US Open main draw means a lot to me," Montgomery said. "Like I said before, it's a big stepping stone in my career. Playing my first Slam when I just turned pro is definitely a big step, but I'm really happy and honored to have the opportunity."
In the women's draw, Montgomery has been drawn against No. 23 seed Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan in Monday's opening round, while Scott will face Russia's Natalia Vikhlyantseva on Tuesday.
