The US Open practice courts have seen some huge names playing on them this year.
One of them is 45-year-old Venus Williams, who returned to the US Open for the first time in two years in both singles and doubles.
However, some players did not spend so much time on these courts, with Iga Swiatek explaining why she did not play on the practice courts at the US Open this year after her quarterfinal defeat.
Although these players were actually competing at the US Open, an inactive former Grand Slam finalist has also been spotted practicing in New York after two years away from the WTA Tour.
Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty ImagesJennifer Brady spotted practicing at the US Open after injury layoff
That player is Jennifer Brady, the former Australian Open finalist who has a career-high ranking of world number 13.
Brady has not competed since the China Open in 2023, where she suffered another knee injury after retiring from her match against Magda Linette.
This was just the 10th match into the American’s comeback after a two-year absence from the WTA Tour, following a foot and knee injury, the latter that required surgery.
After re-injuring her knee in October 2023, three months later Brady announced that she would be undergoing another surgery and would be out of action for ‘quite some time’.
Brady has shown no signs of returning to the WTA Tour until now, after she was spotted on the practice courts at the US Open.
Ahead of Grand Slam doubles champion Erin Routliffe’s semifinal against Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani, Brady was spotted warming up with her.
Brady noticeably had strapping on her left thigh on court, but it is a positive sign that the 30-year-old could be eyeing up a comeback to the WTA Tour.
What Jennifer Brady said was ‘totally achievable’ after losing to Naomi Osaka in the Australian Open final
Brady has won one WTA title and reached the US Open semifinals in 2020, but the standout moment of her career came in 2021 when she reached the Australian Open final.
It was in that final where Brady lost in straight sets to Naomi Osaka, but after that match she still appeared to have faith that a Grand Slam title could come her way.
“I think I belong at this level. I think winning a Grand Slam is totally achievable,” Brady said in her post-match press conference at the time. “It’s within reach.
“You know, playing out there, obviously I was nervous, didn’t go my way, but at the same time coming off court, I was, like, ‘Okay, that feels a little bit normal. It felt different than what I was expecting it to feel like.
“If you were to ask me maybe a year ago, I wouldn’t think it’s possible or it would feel like it’s, like, going to Mars. So I would say just being more comfortable at this level, yeah.”
Since then, Brady has only played two Grand Slam tournaments and is now unranked after not competing for nearly two years.
While a major title may no longer be the main goal for Brady, it appears that she has not given up on her tennis career just yet.