The UnitedHealthcare US Open Racquetball Championships is the premier professional racquetball event. It is a Grand Slam event with men and women competing from the International Racquetball Tour and Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour, respectively. Beginning in 2014, the US Open added a pro doubles division. The US Open also has divisions for amateur players, and hundreds of people participate each year. Overall, there were 708 participants in 2021, [1] and 732 participants in 2019. [2]
The 2021 UnitedHealthcare US Open was October 6–10 in Minneapolis, which was the 11th year since the event began in 1996 that it was in the Twin Cities. United Health Care was the title sponsor for the ninth consecutive year.
The first 14 years the tournament were held in Memphis, Tennessee. Hosted by USA Racquetball the US Open was held in mid-November for the first 12 years, but in 2008 the event was moved up a month to October.
Doug Ganim, a multiple racquetball World Champion in Men's Doubles and former pro player on the International Racquetball Tour, was the US Open's Tournament Director for its first 25 years, but he retired from the position in 2021.
Finalist | Wins | Losses |
Kane Waselenchuk | 15 | 0 |
Sudsy Monchik | 4 | 1 |
Cliff Swain | 2 | 6 |
Jason Mannino | 2 | 0 |
Conrrado Moscoso | 1 | 1 |
Rocky Carson | 1 | 7 |
Daniel De La Rosa | 1 | 2 |
Álvaro Beltrán | 0 | 2 |
Jack Huczek | 0 | 2 |
Rodrigo Montoya | 0 | 1 |
Carlos Keller | 0 | 1 |
John Ellis | 0 | 1 |
Andy Roberts | 0 | 1 |
Derek Robinson | 0 | 1 |
This table lists all players who have been US Open semi-finalists with their result for each year they competed. Note: W = winner, F = finalist, SF = semi-finalist, QF = quarterfinalist, 16 = Round of 16, 32 = Round of 32, 64 = Round of 64, 128 = Round of 128.
Player | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 |
Kane Waselenchuk | QF | QF | SF | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | SF | |||||||
Rocky Carson | 32 | 16 | QF | QF | QF | QF | 16 | SF | SF | F | W | F | QF | 16 | F | F | F | SF | SF | F | F | SF | 16 | QF | QF | |
Jason Mannino | 16 | QF | 16 | W | 32 | SF | QF | QF | QF | QF | W | SF | QF | SF | ||||||||||||
Sudsy Monchik | W | F | W | SF | W | W | QF | 16 | QF | |||||||||||||||||
Cliff Swain | SF | W | F | F | F | W | F | 16 | F | F | QF | 32 | 32 | 32 | 64 | 16 | 16 | 64 | 32 | 64 | ||||||
Daniel De La Rosa | 64 | 64 | 32 | 16 | QF | QF | QF | F | SF | QF | F | SF | W | 16 | ||||||||||||
Conrrado Moscoso | QF | 32 | F | 16 | W | |||||||||||||||||||||
Jack Huczek | 64 | 16 | 16 | SF | SF | SF | SF | SF | F | SF | F | SF | 16 | |||||||||||||
Álvaro Beltrán | SF | QF | QF | 16 | 16 | QF | QF | QF | QF | F | 16 | SF | SF | F | SF | QF | SF | 16 | QF | 16 | 32 | |||||
John Ellis | QF | SF | SF | SF | QF | F | QF | 16 | 32 | 32 | 16 | |||||||||||||||
Andy Roberts | F | SF | 32 | 32 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Derek Robinson | 64 | 16 | QF | 16 | QF | 16 | 16 | F | QF | |||||||||||||||||
Carlos Keller | 32 | 32 | 32 | 16 | F | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Shane Vanderson | 64 | 64 | 64 | 32 | SF | 32 | QF | SF | SF | SF | QF | QF | QF | |||||||||||||
Alejandro Landa | 64 | 64 | 64 | 32 | 32 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | SF | 32 | 16 | SF | QF | SF | QF | QF | ||||||||
Ben Croft | 32 | 32 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | QF | SF | SF | QF | 32 | SF | QF | 16 | ||||||||||||
Chris Crowther | 16 | 32 | QF | 32 | 64 | 16 | 16 | 16 | QF | 16 | SF | SF | QF | QF | 16 | |||||||||||
Jose Rojas | 32 | QF | QF | SF | 16 | QF | 16 | QF | SF | |||||||||||||||||
Andree Parrilla | 128 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 16 | 16 | SF | QF | SF | SF | ||||||||||||||||
Mike Guidry | QF | 16 | QF | 16 | 16 | SF | 16 | 16 | QF | 16 | ||||||||||||||||
Woody Clouse | SF | QF | 16 | 16 | 16 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Eric Muller | QF | SF | 64 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Mike Locker | 32 | 32 | 16 | SF | 16 |
Finalist | Wins | Losses |
Paola Longoria | 12 | 2 |
Rhonda Rajsich | 4 | 7 |
Christie Van Hees | 3 | 3 |
Michelle Gould | 2 | 0 |
Cheryl Gudinas Holmes | 2 | 4 |
Jackie Paraiso | 2 | 3 |
Kerri Wachtel | 1 | 0 |
María José Vargas | 0 | 3 |
Samantha Salas | 0 | 2 |
Erika Manilla | 0 | 1 |
Frédérique Lambert | 0 | 1 |
This table lists all players who have been US Open semi-finalists with their result for each year they competed. Note: W = winner, F = finalist, SF = semi-finalist, QF = quarterfinalist, 16 = Round of 16, 32 = Round of 32, 64 = Round of 64, 128 = Round of 128.
Player | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 |
Paola Longoria | 128 | QF | 32 | 16 | QF | W | F | F | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | |||||||
Rhonda Rajsich | F | 16 | QF | W | F | F | QF | W | QF | W | W | F | F | F | SF | F | QF | SF | QF | 16 | QF | |||||
Christie Van Hees | F | F | W | F | SF | W | W | SF | QF | SF | ||||||||||||||||
Cheryl Gudinas | F | SF | QF | SF | SF | SF | W | SF | W | 16 | F | F | F | SF | QF | 16 | 16 | 16 | 32 | 64 | 32 | |||||
Kerri Wachtel | 32 | 32 | W | SF | QF | QF | 16 | SF | QF | QF | SF | QF | SF | 32 | ||||||||||||
Jackie Paraiso | SF | F | W | W | SF | F | F | QF | 16 | QF | 16 | |||||||||||||||
Michelle Gould | W | W | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Samantha Salas | 128 | 32 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 32 | SF | SF | SF | SF | QF | F | F | SF | 16 | 16 | |||||||||
Frédérique Lambert | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 16 | QF | QF | SF | F | SF | 16 | ||||||||||||||
María José Vargas | 32 | 16 | F | SF | 32 | 32 | F | F | ||||||||||||||||||
Kristen Walsh Bellows | 16 | 16 | 16 | SF | SF | SF | QF | QF | SF | QF | QF | 32 | ||||||||||||||
Susana Acosta | 16 | SF | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | QF | SF | 16 | 16 | QF | 32 | 32 | |||||
Veronica Sotomayor | 32 | 16 | SF | QF | QF | SF | 32 | 32 | ||||||||||||||||||
Laura Fenton | QF | QF | 16 | QF | QF | SF | 16 | 16 | SF | 32 | ||||||||||||||||
Brenda Kyzer | 32 | 16 | 16 | 16 | QF | SF | QF | SF | ||||||||||||||||||
Caryn McKinney | SF | QF | SF | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Angela Grisar | QF | QF | QF | QF | SF | 16 | QF | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||
Cristina Amaya | 64 | 32 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 32 | QF | SF | 16 | QF | QF | 16 | 32 | 32 | 16 | |||||||||||
Jessica Parrilla | 32 | 128 | QF | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | SF | QF | 32 | QF | SF | |||||||||||||
Kersten Hallander | QF | QF | QF | SF | QF | 16 | 16 | |||||||||||||||||||
Robin Levine | QF | SF | 16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Natalia Mendez | QF | SF | QF | QF | 16 | QF | ||||||||||||||||||||
Gabriela Martinez | 16 | 16 | 32 | SF | 16 | QF | 16 | |||||||||||||||||||
Angélica Barrios | 32 | 32 | 32 | SF | QF | |||||||||||||||||||||
Erika Manilla | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | SF | F | ||||||||||||||||||||
Montserrat Mejia | 32 | 16 | 16 | 16 | SF | 32 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Alexandra Herrera | 32 | 32 | 16 | 32 | 32 | QF | QF | QF | 16 | SF | ||||||||||||||||
Marci Drexler | SF |
Kane Waselenchuk is a professional racquetball player born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Waselenchuk finished the 2018–19 season as the #1 player on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) for a record extending 13th time. Waselenchuk, a left-handed player, has dominated the IRT for the last decade, including a record 134-match unbeaten streak that lasted over three years.
Cheryl Gudinas is an American retired racquetball player. Gudinas won three [www.internationalracquetball.com International Racquetball Federation] (IRF) World Championships in Women’s Singles, and was the #1 player on the women's pro racquetball tour from 2000-2004, finishing in the top 10 on tour a record 21 seasons.
Rhonda Rajsich is an American racquetball player. She has been World Champion in Women's Singles twice, and Pan American Champion 6 times, as well as US Open champion four times. Rajsich was the #1 player on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour season ending rankings four times – three straight seasons from 2005–06 to 2007-08 and then again in 2010–11. She is of Serbian descent.
Paola Michelle Longoria López is a Mexican racquetball player. She is the current Women's World Champion in both Singles and Doubles, winning both divisions at the 2022 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in San Luis Potosi. Longoria is the winningest player in IRF World Championship history, and she is the only woman to win both singles and doubles at Worlds. Longoria is also the #1 player on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) tour, and was the first Mexican woman to attain the #1 pro ranking, doing so at the end of the 2008–09 season. She repeated the feat at the end of 2009–2010 season, and has been #1 for ten consecutive seasons. Longoria's style is characterized by a semi-western grip of the racquet, which is unusual for racquetball; Longoria is the only pro player using this grip style.
Mike Green is a Canadian retired racquetball player from Burlington, Ontario. Green set the record for Men's Singles Canadian Championships at 11 in 2017, which broke a tie he had with Sherman Greenfeld. He also won 10 Men's Doubles Canadian Championships, and together those 21 Canadian titles are the most for a Canadian man.
Samantha Salas Solís is a Mexican racquetball player. Salas is the current World Champion in both Women's Doubles - winning that title for a fifth time with Paola Longoria at the 2022 World Championships in San Luis Potosí, Mexico - and Mixed Doubles with Rodrigo Montoya. She is also the current Pan American Games Champion in Women's Doubles, winning that title with Longoria for a third consecutive time in 2019 in Lima. Salas was the second Mexican woman to finish in the top 10 rankings on the women's pro tour, doing so at the end of the 2006–07 season. Salas was ranked 3rd at the end of the 2019-20 Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) season, which was her tenth season in the top 10.
Andy Hawthorne is a professional racquetball player. Hawthorne finished #6 on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) at the end of the 2010-11 season, a career high and the fourth season he'd finished in the IRT's top 10 players. Primarily a drive serving player, Hawthorne also has a very "scrappy" game style.
Aimee Ruiz is a left-handed American racquetball player. She is a three time Women's Doubles World Champion, and a 13 time USA Racquetball Champion in Women's Doubles, most recently winning the title in 2020 with Erika Manilla. In addition to her USA doubles titles, Ruiz has one USA National Women's Singles title. Ruiz was named to the USA Racquetball Hall of Fame in 2021.
Jose Rojas is a professional racquetball player. Rojas's highest ranking is #3 on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT), which he was at the end of the 2011–12 season. At the end of the 2014–15 season, Rojas was #6, which was his sixth time in the IRT top 10 at season's end. Rojas has represented the USA several times in international competition, and been a gold medalist three times.
Cristina Amaya is a Colombian racquetball player. Amaya finished the 2017-18 Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) season as the 8th ranked player, which was her eighth consecutive season in the top 10. She was the third South American player to be in the women's pro top 10 after Angela Grisar and Veronica Sotomayor.
Angela Grisar is a Chilean retired racquetball player. She was the first South American woman's racquetball player to finish in the top 10 on the women's pro tour, doing so six straight seasons. She won numerous medals for Chile in international competitions, including at four International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships and three Pan American Games.
María José Vargas is a Bolivian-born Argentine racquetball player. She is the current Pan American Champion in Women's Singles, as well as the Women's Team event. Vargas is also the current South American Racquetball Champion in Women's Singles and Doubles. Vargas has eight wins on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT), and has finished in the top 10 seven times - five of those were within the top three with her career best coming in 2014-15, when she finished #2.
Tim Landeryou is a Canadian retired racquetball player. He was a member of the Canadian National Team from 2010 to 2020, winning multiple medals in international competitions.
Frédérique Lambert is a Canadian racquetball player. Lambert is the current Canadian Champion in Women's Singles and Women's Doubles, and has won nine Canadian Championships: five in Women's Singles and four in Women's Doubles. She has been a member of the Canadian National Team since 2008, and has won several medals in international competitions, including a silver medal in Mixed Doubles at the 2022 World Championships. Lambert was the #2 ranked player in back to back Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) seasons: 2016-17 and 2017-18.
Daniel de la Rosa is a Mexican racquetball and pickleball player. De La Rosa is the current International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion in Men's doubles, winning the title in 2022 in his home city of San Luis Potosí, Mexico. He's won 12 times on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT), including the 2021 US Open. De La Rosa is the first Mexican player to win the US Open, and he was the second Mexican player to win an IRT Tier 1 event.
Alejandro Landa is a Mexican-born American retired racquetball player. Landa is a former World Champion in Men's Singles, winning the title in Guatemala City in December 2021 while playing for the USA. Previously, he'd represented Mexico internationally, winning gold in Men's Singles and Doubles at the 2017 Pan American Championships. Landa also won four titles on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT).
Samuel Murray is a Canadian racquetball player. He is the current Canadian Champion in Men's Singles, winning the title for a fifth time in 2023. Murray was the 2022 Pan American Champion in Men's Doubles ,. He became the 2nd Canadian to win a Tier 1 or Grand Slam event on the International Racquetball Tour in January 2021, when he won the Suivant Consulting Pro-Am in Lilburn, Georgia. His career high IRT ranking is #3 at the end of 2021.
Pedro Castro is a Canadian retired racquetball player. He won Men's Doubles at the 2016 Canadian Racquetball Championships with Samuel Murray, and has been on the Canadian National Team from 2014 to 2020. In 2020, Castro announced he's retiring from racquetball to focus on baseball with the hopes of representing Chile at the 2023 Pan American Games.
Rodrigo Montoya is a Mexican racquetball player. He is the current International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion in both the Men's Team competition and Mixed Doubles, winning those titles at the 2022 Championships in San Luis Potosí, Mexico. That was his 4th IRF World Championship, as he won the 2018 Men's Singles in Costa Rica and the 2021 Men's Doubles with Javier Mar in Guatemala City, so Montoya is the first player to win singles, doubles and mixed doubles at Worlds. He is also the current Pan American Games champion in both Men's Singles and Doubles with Mar, winning those events at the 2019 Pan Am Games in Lima. Montoya is also the current Pan American Champion in Men's Singles and the Men's Team event, winning those titles at the 2024 Pan American Racquetball Championships in Guatemala City.
Alexandra Herrera is a Mexican racquetball player. She is the current Pan American Champion in Women's Doubles. A left-handed player, Herrera has been the #2 player on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour in 2020-21 and again in 2021–22, two of her eight seasons in the LPRT top 10.