Filipino Pride Grows at US Open as Andre Ilagan Earns Qualifying Wild Card

NEW YORK - Filipino American tennis player Andre Ilagan is getting his shot at the US Open after receiving a wild card into the men’s qualifying tournament following the strongest stretch of his professional career.

The 25-year-old Honolulu native, whose parents immigrated to Hawaii from the Philippines, will compete at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, Queens, as he attempts to earn a place in the main draw of one of tennis’ four Grand Slam tournaments.

Like Philippine tennis star Alex Eala, Ilagan is a left-handed player, giving Filipino tennis fans another southpaw to follow on the international stage.

Ilagan secured the qualifying wild card after finishing runner-up in the US Open Wild Card Challenge and reaching back-to-back ATP Challenger finals this summer.

His recent performances pushed him to a career-high ATP singles ranking of around No. 210, marking a major breakthrough for the former University of Hawaii standout.

For Ilagan, the journey to New York has deep Filipino roots.

His parents, Amefel and Sergio Ilagan, are immigrants from the Philippines. His father introduced him to tennis and coached him during his younger years, while his older brothers also played the sport.

Growing up in Honolulu, Ilagan trained largely on public courts. His family did not always have the financial resources for extensive travel to junior tournaments on the U.S. mainland.

Ilagan attended Farrington High School, where he won back-to-back Hawaii state singles championships in 2017 and 2018.

He later starred for the University of Hawaii, becoming the first player in the school’s men’s tennis history to earn ITA All-American honors. He also reached the NCAA Singles Round of 16 and earned Big West Player of the Year honors.

After completing college in 2023, Ilagan turned his attention to professional tennis and steadily climbed through ITF and ATP Challenger tournaments.

His breakthrough accelerated this summer when he reached consecutive Challenger finals, helping him secure his US Open qualifying opportunity.

The qualifying tournament begins August 24 in New York, with Ilagan needing to win three matches to earn a place in the US Open men’s singles main draw.

His appearance is also historic for his former school, as Ilagan becomes the first former University of Hawaii men’s tennis player to compete at the US Open.

For Filipino tennis fans already closely following Eala, Ilagan now provides another player with Philippine roots to watch in New York and another left-handed talent attempting to make his mark on one of tennis’ biggest stages.

From the public courts of Honolulu to Flushing Meadows, Ilagan is now three victories away from a place in the US Open main draw.