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16-Year-Old Jordan Lee Upsets No. 152 Mark Lajal to Reach Second Round of U.S. Open Qualifying

The Wimbledon junior champion’s comeback win puts him two victories away from his first Grand Slam main draw and signals a fast jump from junior success to pro competition.

Overview

  • On Monday Lee rallied to beat Mark Lajal 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the first round of U.S. Open qualifying and called the result the biggest professional singles win of his career.
  • Lee will face Daniel Rincon next and needs two more qualifying wins to reach the U.S. Open main draw from the 128-player qualifying field.
  • This run follows Lee’s July Wimbledon boys’ singles title won as a qualifier and his runner-up finish at the USTA National Boys’ 18s in Kalamazoo that earned him an automatic wild card into qualifying.
  • Lee returned from a significant 2025 injury, earned early ATP points at entry-level events in 2026, and trains at the USTA National Campus in Orlando under his mother and coach, Tina Lee.
  • The result highlights a rapid transition from junior to pro level but underlines the challenge ahead because only 16 players from qualifying reach the main draw and the remaining opponents are seasoned professionals.