Lone Caribbean-Born Tennis Pro Out Of US Open

Victor Estrella Burgos of the Dominican Republic reacts against Milos Raonic of Canada during their men’s singles third round match on Day Six of the 2014 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 30, 2014 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

By NAN Sports Editor

News Americas, FLUSHING, NY, Weds. Aug. 31, 2016: The lone Caribbean-born player in the U.S. Open is out.

Dominican Republic-born Victor Estrella Burgos lost his first round match to Portugal’s Joao Sousa 6-0, 6-1, 6-1 yesterday at the Flushing Tennis stadium.

Burgos at 34, made history recently by becoming the oldest first-time ATP World Tour winner in the Open Era. He’s also become the first player from the Dominican Republic to win an ATP World Tour event.

He taught himself how to play tennis as a boy and in his 20s, he taught the sport for years to fund his future career and achieve Dominican tennis history. When he could finally afford to go pro at the age of 26, people laughed at him. “It’s too late,” they told him.

But the lifelong Santiago resident has proved them wrong even though he lost his first round match yesterday and is now out of this year’s Open, the fact that he made it there at all is historic indeed.