Northern Mariana Islands tennis standout Carol Lee says her biggest takeaway from her US Open main-draw debut is knowing she can compete at Grand Slam level after pushing world No. 62 Katie Boulter of Great Britain to three sets.
“It was a tough match, but I’m proud of how I stayed composed, kept fighting, and forced a third set. Of course, I was disappointed not to get the win, but the biggest takeaway was realizing that I can compete at this level,” Lee said.
“Playing in my first US Open main draw was an incredible experience and something I’ll always remember. The atmosphere, the crowd, and competing on such a big stage made it very special.”
Boulter defeated Lee 6-4, 3-6, 6-0 in the Round of 128 in New York, with Lee bouncing back from a tight opening set to win the second 6-3 and force a deciding set.
The match statistics showed Lee had her moments against her higher-ranked opponent.
Lee fired eight aces to Boulter’s none and committed three double faults compared with seven by the Briton.
Boulter, however, won 67.7 percent of her first-serve points compared with Lee’s 59.1 percent. She also converted five of 17 break-point opportunities, while Lee converted two of seven.
Boulter finished with 110 of the match’s 204 total points, or 53.9 percent, while Lee won 94, or 46.1 percent.
Northern Marianas Sports Association Hall of Famer and Lee’s former coach Jeff Race described her appearance on one of tennis’ biggest stages as a landmark moment for CNMI sport.
“This is the biggest thing that’s ever happened in sports in the CNMI right here,” Race said during a watch party on Saipan. “This is it. You’re looking at it.”
Race, speaking while Lee was battling Boulter in the second set, said she appeared increasingly comfortable.
“She’s rolling and she’s very into the match. She’s looking very comfortable and relaxed,” he said.
Race said Lee’s appearance also carried significance because of her history of representing the Northern Marianas internationally.
“Oh she’s CNMI. She competes on our national team. She competes for us in the Pacific Games. She’s a gold medalist in the Pacific Games and she’s going to be competing for us in the Pacific Games next year,” he said.
A handful of supporters gathered at Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan for an early-morning watch party.
Watch party organiser and Crowne Plaza learning and development manager Glenn Policare said he had watched Lee’s development since she was a young player on Saipan.
“We’ve been following, I’ve been following Carole since she was a little girl. When I used to see her hit balls at Kanoa with her dad and when we heard that Carole was going to be on the big stage, we had to do something for her,” Policare said.
Lee’s father, Dom Min Lee, said he was proud of his daughter following the match.
“To my daughter Carol Lee, you left it all on the court today. Words can’t express how proud I am of you!” he said.
“As her dad, I want to sincerely thank everyone who cheered her on and sent warm words of support. Your energy kept her fighting until the very end. Please keep following and supporting Carol on her journey!”
There will be little rest for Lee as she returns to the professional circuit, with tournaments in South America and Europe before heading to Asia.
“Next, I am playing Colombia 125 this week then Sao Paulo 250 next week then Porto 125 and lastly Turkey 125 before heading off the Asia,” Lee said.
Race said Lee has also committed to representing the CNMI at next year’s Pacific Games in Tahiti.
Lee has previously broken Grand Slam ground for the Northern Marianas. The WTA reported that she became the first player representing the CNMI to compete in a junior Grand Slam when she played at the Australian Open in 2019. Her appearance at this year’s US Open marked her senior Grand Slam main-draw debut.
Other players of Pacific Island heritage have previously competed on the Grand Slam stage.
ABC Pacific reported that Australian Destanee Aiava, who is of Samoan heritage, made her Grand Slam main-draw debut at the Australian Open in 2017 at age 16. She was the youngest person of Pacific Island heritage to make a Grand Slam appearance at the time and the second person of Samoan heritage to play in a Grand Slam.
Aiava later became the first female player of Samoan heritage to reach the US Open singles main draw in 2024, representing Australia.
