Fiona Crawley's stay at the 2023 U.S. Open was short, but fruitful.
First, Crawley topped Réka Luca Jani of Hungary, Timea Babos of Hungary, and Kimberly Birrell of Australia in a qualifying tournament to reach the main draw. The 21-year-old North Carolina senior lost in the first round in both singles and doubles, but was awarded significant financial compensation just for making the tournament.
However, NCAA rules prevented her from accepting her award, forcing Crawley to give up $81,000 in earnings—a forfeiture that did not sit right with the Tar Heels star.
“I would never take the money and never risk my eligibility, but I worked my butt off this week and it seems unreal that there are football and basketball players making millions in NIL deals, and I can’t take the money that I worked so hard for,” she told reporters after her elimination last Tuesday in an interview that gained traction over the weekend.
For NCAA tennis players, compensation from events is capped at $10,000 on a per annum basis provided it “comes from the sponsor of the event.”
