Fresh off her maiden appearance in the main draw at Wimbledon, DC native Robin Montgomery returns to her hometown tournament this week for the first time in five years.
“I’m really happy to be back,” a relaxed Montgomery said Saturday morning in Rock Creek Park. “I’m really glad to compete here again. It’s been a while since I last played here.”
Montgomery was only 14 when she made her WTA debut in the Washington qualifying draw in 2019. Five years later, she appreciates the opportunity to again play in a familiar setting with so many familiar faces.
Montgomery was granted a wild card into the main draw and will face American Shelby Rogers in a first-round match early next week.
“I’m just excited to play in front of my family again and play here [in the main draw] for the first time,” she said. “I used to come here when I was 9 and very young, so it’s kind of surreal now to be here competing in the main event.”
Montgomery turns 20 in September and is looking to build off an impressive spring run through Europe.
In April, she reached the third round in Madrid before falling to then-World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka in three sets. She later reached her first WTA quarterfinal in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and advanced through the qualifying draw at Wimbledon before winning her maiden Grand Slam main draw singles match at the professional level.
“That meant a lot to me,” said Montgomery, who has seen her ranking rise to a career-best World No.133. “Qualifying for Wimbledon was a great accomplishment and then when I won the first match, I felt like, ‘Okay, I’m in this, I can do this.’”
Montgomery’s run at Wimbledon ultimately ended with a second-round defeat to three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur. Montgomery left a strong impression on the former World No.2.
“She has the game to become a Top-10 player,” Jabeur said Saturday. “She has the personality on the court, as well, which sometimes that's what you need. Sometimes when you're playing, you can play unbelievable, but in certain moments you need that character on the court. I feel like she has it. I truly feel like she can be one of the greatest players.”
Jabeur and Montgomery could meet again next week in DC, with the fourth-seeded Jabeur awaiting the winner of the Montgomery-Rogers match.
“I had an exciting match against Ons [at Wimbledon], another good match to put under my belt,” Montgomery said. “It was just another stepping stone. Getting a little taste of how she plays, if I were to play again, different surface, different match, I’d try to take a bit of what I learned.”
Montgomery admits she is still adjusting to becoming a fixture on the WTA Tour and that she’s been guilty at times of giving her opponents a little too much respect. She adds, though, that her recent experiences have eased the transition.
“I think I’m here and I’m showing I can compete with the [top players] so I do feel more like, ‘Yeah, I do belong here,’” she said.
Montgomery also lauded the support she’s received from Tour veteran Madison Keys and fellow JTCC alum Frances Tiafoe. She also has also fed off the rise of fellow DC native and Junior Grand Slam champion Clervie Ngounoue.
“I’m obviously excited for what’s happened,” she said. The experience these past few months helps me to be more prepared for this type of event. I’ll try to take all my learning experiences and implement them towards this opportunity.”
