Resurgent Kevin Anderson secures US Open berth following Newport title

The former No. 5 and two-time Grand Slam finalist was ranked below the Top 100 coming into the Hall of Fame Open in Newport, but won the title to get back up to No. 74 in the rankings.

"It’s been a tough run, it's such a great step forward for me," he told press.

The rankings jump he received from winning Newport also got him into the US Open, just a day before entries for the Grand Slam event were completed. And it's also what prompted him to play Newport in the first place.

The 35-year-old South African asked for a wildcard following his second-round defeat to Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon.

"I saw that I wasn’t going to be in the main draw of the US Open," said Anderson.

"I knew that I had to make the semis in order to reach the main draw."

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Anderson was ranked as high as No. 5 after reaching the Wimbledon final in 2018 (Getty Images).

But he went two rounds better, lifting his first title since 2019, when he underwent knee surgery. And in doing it, he might also have found his game.

"I found my rhythm again. It’s about paying attention to what I’m trying to do," he said. "I’m excited about things to come, I’m motivated to keep it going.

"There’s never any easy matches, but quite a few of the matches that I’ve played this year were mine to win.

"I’m trying to get more matches under my belt, this is what I’m looking for in terms of where I am and where I set my sights."

His other priority is avoiding additional physical issues, like those he had in 2020. "I do everything I can from a physical standpoint, most things I have under control," Anderson noted.

Following his win in Newport, he withdrew from this week's event in Los Cabos.