Kayla Day

Last updated

Kayla Day
Day RGQ23.jpg
Day at the 2023 French Open
Country (sports)Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Residence Lake Nona, Orlando, Florida
Born (1999-09-28) September 28, 1999 (age 25) [1]
Santa Barbara, California
Height1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Turned pro2017
PlaysLeft (two-handed backhand)
Coach Pat Cash
Prize moneyUS$ 1,192,348
Singles
Career record234–189
Career titles6 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 84 (April 1, 2024)
Current rankingNo. 463 (June 23, 2025)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open 1R (2017, 2024)
French Open 3R (2023)
Wimbledon Q2 (2023, 2024)
US Open 2R (2016)
Doubles
Career record38–38
Career titles3 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 133 (January 29, 2018)
Current rankingNo. 528 (June 23, 2025)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open 1R (2024)
US Open 2R (2017)
Last updated on: 23 June 2025.

Kayla Day (born September 28, 1999) [1] is an American professional tennis player. She has a career-high singles ranking of world No. 84 by the WTA. As a junior, she won one junior major title, at the 2016 US Open. There, she finished runner-up in the doubles event, partnering with Caroline Dolehide.

Contents

Despite having success as junior, Day has mostly spent time playing on the ITF Women's Circuit instead of WTA Tour, due to her ranking. She officially turned professional in 2017, at the Australian Open. [2]

Early life and background

Day started playing tennis when she was seven years old. [3] Her mother is from the Czech Republic. [4]

Juniors

She was No. 1 in the girls' 12s, 14s, 16s, and 18s national US rankings. [3] In 2016, Day climbed to the top of the ITF junior rankings by winning the 2016 Junior US Open, reaching semifinals at the 2016 Wimbledon, and reaching the final at the Orange Bowl the previous year. [5] [6] She also achieved her best doubles result at a major event as a runner-up at the 2016 Junior US Open with partner Caroline Dolehide. [7] She won the 2016 USTA Girls 18s National Championships to earn a wildcard into the main draw of the US Open. [6] [8] Day has been coached from the beginning by Larry Mousouris, who has coached two other Junior US Open winners, Michael Falberg and Tim Trigueiro.

Professional

2016-2017: First title, major & Premier-level debut

Day made her WTA Tour debut at the Connecticut Open in New Haven, after reaching the main draw as a lucky loser, having defeated Naomi Broady and Kirsten Flipkens along the way. The following week, she played in her first career Grand Slam at the US Open, and won her first match against compatriot Madison Brengle.

Shortly after turning 17, Day won her first career title at the 50k tournament in Macon, Georgia. The following week at Scottsdale, she reached the semifinals to enter the top 200 for the first time. With her combined performance at these two events, she won the Australian Open Wild Card Challenge to earn a spot in the main draw at the first major event of 2017. [9]

Day picked up her first tour wins of the season — and first wins of her career at a Premier Mandatory event — at the 2017 Indian Wells Open, including a victory over 2017 Australian Open semifinalist Mirjana Lučić-Baroni to reach the third round of the tournament.

2022: WTA 1000 debut

After almost five years of absence at the WTA 1000 level, she qualified for the main draw at the Guadalajara Open where she lost in the first round to Eugenie Bouchard. [10]

2023: French Open third round, top 100

Day won three matches in the French Open qualifying to make her first main draw at Roland Garros, as well as her first Grand Slam tournament appearance since the 2017 US Open. [11] She defeated wildcard Kristina Mladenovic [12] and 20th seed Madison Keys to reach the third round of a major for the first time. [13] [14] Day lost to Anna Karolína Schmiedlová in round three. [15]

She claimed the title at the Championnats de Granby, defeating Katherine Sebov in the final and moving to world No. 94 as a result. [16]

2024: Career-high ranking in top 85

Day lost to Viktoriya Tomova in the first round of the Australian Open. [17]

At the Indian Wells Open, she entered the main draw as a lucky loser replacing fourth seed and defending champion, Elena Rybakina, directly in the second round [18] where she lost to Nadia Podoroska. [19] She reached a career-high ranking of No. 84, on 1 April 2024.[ citation needed ]

She lost to lucky loser Hailey Baptiste in the first round at the French Open. [20]

Performance timelines

Key
W F SFQF#RRRQ#DNQANH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.
To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated at the conclusion of a tournament or when the player's participation has ended.

Only main-draw results in WTA Tour, Grand Slam tournaments, Billie Jean King Cup, United Cup, Hopman Cup and Olympic Games are included in win–loss records.

Singles

Current through the 2023 Korea Open.

Tournament 2016 2017 2018 ... 2022 2023 2024 SRW–LWin %
Grand Slam tournaments
Australian Open A 1R Q3 A Q2 1R 0 / 20–20%
French Open A Q2 Q1 A 3R 1R 0 / 22–250%
Wimbledon A Q1 AA Q2 Q2 0 / 00–0  
US Open 2R 1R Q1 Q2 1R Q1 0 / 31–325%
Win–loss1–10–20–00–02–20–20 / 73–730%
WTA 1000
Qatar Open [a] AAAAA0 / 00–0  
Dubai [a] AAAAA0 / 00–0  
Indian Wells Open A 3R 1R AA0 / 22–250%
Miami Open A Q1 AAA0 / 00–0  
Madrid Open AAAAA0 / 00–0  
Italian Open AAAAA0 / 00–0  
Canadian Open AAAA 1R 0 / 10–10%
Cincinnati Open A Q1 AAA0 / 00–0  
Guadalajara Open AAA 1R A0 / 10–10%
Wuhan Open AAANH0 / 00–0  
China Open AAANH Q1 0 / 00–0  
Win–loss0–02–10–10–10–10 / 42–433%
Career statistics
2016 2017 2018 ... 2022 2023 SRW–LWin %
Tournaments25226Career total: 17
Titles00000Career total: 0
Finals00000Career total: 0
Overall win–loss1–23–50–20–23–60 / 177–1729%
Year-end ranking [b] 19515430019587$860,655

ITF Circuit finals

Singles: 14 (6 titles, 8 runner-ups)

Legend
W100 tournaments (2–0)
W80 tournaments (0–1)
W60/75 tournaments (1–1)
W25/35 tournaments (3–5)
W15 tournaments (0–1)
ResultW–L   Date   TournamentTierSurfaceOpponentScore
Loss0–1May 2016ITF Naples, United States25,000Clay Flag of Russia.svg Valeria Solovyeva 4–6, 0–6
Win1–1 Oct 2016 Tennis Classic of Macon, United States50,000Hard Flag of the United States.svg Danielle Collins 6–1, 6–3
Loss1–2Feb 2017 Rancho Santa Fe Open, United States25,000Hard Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Bianca Andreescu 4–6, 1–6
Loss1–3Sep 2021ITF Fort Worth, United StatesW25Hard Flag of Estonia.svg Kaia Kanepi 2–6, 1–6
Loss1–4Oct 2021ITF Austin, United StatesW25Hard Flag of Sweden.svg Mirjam Björklund 6–2, 2–6, 2–6
Win2–4May 2022ITF Naples, United StatesW25Clay Flag of Mexico.svg Ana Sofía Sánchez 6–1, 6–1
Loss2–5Jun 2022ITF Wichita, United StatesW25Hard Flag of the United States.svg Elizabeth Mandlik 3–6, 3–6
Win3–5Oct 2022ITF Redding, United StatesW25Hard Flag of the United States.svg Jamie Loeb 6–3, 6–4
Win4–5May 2023 Bonita Springs Championship, United StatesW100Clay Flag of the United States.svg Ann Li 6–2, 6–2
Win5–5Jul 2023 Championnats de Granby, CanadaW100Hard Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Katherine Sebov 6–4, 2–6, 7–5
Loss5–6Oct 2023 Tyler Pro Challenge, United StatesW80Hard Flag of the United States.svg Emma Navarro 3–6, 4–6
Loss5–7 Apr 2024 Charlottesville Open, United StatesW75Clay Flag of the United States.svg Louisa Chirico 1–6, 5–7
Loss5–8Jul 2025ITF San Diego, United StatesW15Hard Flag of the United States.svg Tianmei Wang 4–6, 3–6
Win6–8Aug 2025ITF Southaven, United StatesW25Hard Flag of Mexico.svg Ana Sofía Sánchez 6–4, 6–1

Doubles: 5 (3 titles, 2 runner-ups)

Legend
W100 tournaments
W75 tournaments
W25/35 tournaments
ResultW–L   Date   TournamentTierSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Loss0–1 Feb 2017 Midland Tennis Classic, United States100,000Hard (i) Flag of the United States.svg Caroline Dolehide Flag of the United States.svg Ashley Weinhold
Flag of the United States.svg Caitlin Whoriskey
6–7(1), 3–6
Win1–1Feb 2017 Rancho Santa Fe Open, United States25,000Hard Flag of the United States.svg Caroline Dolehide Flag of Ukraine.svg Anhelina Kalinina
Flag of the United States.svg Chiara Scholl
6–3, 1–6, [10–7]
Win2–1Feb 2019Rancho Santa Fe Open, United StatesW25Hard Flag of the United States.svg Sophia Whittle Flag of Hong Kong.svg Eudice Chong
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg You Xiaodi
6–2, 5–7, [10–7]
Win3–1Oct 2024 Edmond Open, United StatesW75Hard Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jaimee Fourlis Flag of the United States.svg Sophie Chang
Flag of the United States.svg Rasheeda McAdoo
7–5, 7–5
Loss3–2 May 2025 ITF Boca Raton, United StatesW35Clay Flag of the United States.svg Allura Zamarripa Flag of the United States.svg Fiona Crawley
Flag of the United States.svg Alana Smith
4–6, 2–6

Junior Grand Slam finals

Girls' singles: 1 (title)

ResultYearTournamentSurfaceOpponentScore
Win 2016 US Open Hard Flag of Slovakia.svg Viktória Kužmová 6–3, 6–2

Girls' doubles: 1 (runner-up)

ResultYearTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Loss 2016 US Open Hard Flag of the United States.svg Caroline Dolehide Flag of the United States.svg Jada Hart
Flag of the United States.svg Ena Shibahara
6–4, 2–6, [11–13]

Notes

  1. 1 2 The first Premier 5 event of the year has switched back and forth between the Dubai Tennis Championships and the Qatar Ladies Open since 2009 until 2024. Dubai was classified as a Premier 5 event from 2009 to 2011 before being succeeded by Doha for the 2012–2014 period. In 2015, Dubai regained its Premier 5 status, while Doha was demoted to Premier status. The Premier 5 tournaments were reclassified as WTA 1000 tournaments in 2021.
  2. 2015: WTA ranking–988, ... 2019: WTA ranking–440, 2020: WTA ranking–475, 2021: WTA ranking–375.

References

  1. 1 2 "Kayla Day | Player Stats & More". WTA Official. July 16, 2018. Archived from the original on December 8, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  2. Rubin, Stephanie (January 11, 2017). "Kayla Day to make Slam debut as Pro in Melbourne". Baseline. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Kayla Day cruises into Junior singles' semi-final". Wimbledon. July 7, 2016. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
  4. "Meet Kayla Day, American Teenager with Plenty to Smile About". WTA Tennis. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  5. Pantic, Nina (September 13, 2016). "A brand new day: U.S. Open Junior Champ Kayla Day is as confident as she is talented". tennis.com. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  6. 1 2 "Kayla Day Junior Singles Activity". ITF Junior. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  7. "A Brand New Day: U.S. Open Junior Champ Kayla Day is as confident as she is talented". Tennis.com. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
  8. "Michael Mmoh, Kayla Day earn US Open Wild-card Entries". Tennis Magazine. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  9. "Tennis Phenom Kayla Day Goes Pro". independent.com. January 4, 2017.
  10. "Andreescu solves Kvitova to reach Guadalajara last 16". October 18, 2022.
  11. "Santa Barbara's Kayla Day outlasts Avanesyan to reach French Open main draw". keyt.com. May 25, 2023.
  12. "Kayla Day wins French Open first round match". keyt.com. May 30, 2023. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  13. "Tracing Kayla Day's path to a milestone moment at the French Open". Women's Tennis Association.
  14. "Keys hits remarkable 74 unforced errors during match against Kayla Day at Roland Garros". tennisuptodate.com. June 2, 2023.
  15. "Roland-Garros: Schmiedlova cruises past Kayla Day to reach the last 16". Tennis Majors. June 3, 2023. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  16. "Kayla Day wins Granby 100k and cracks top 100 rankings". keyt.com. July 23, 2023. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  17. "Australian Open: Tomova into second round, Svitolina next". Tennis Majors. January 15, 2024. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  18. "BNP Paribas Open: Last year's champion Elena Rybakina withdraws 4 hours before first match". Desert Sun.
  19. "Indian Wells: Podoroska advances to third round". Tennis Majors. March 9, 2024. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  20. "Roland-Garros: Baptiste into second round". Tennis Majors. May 27, 2024. Retrieved October 31, 2024.