Diane Parry names Alycia Parks over locker-room refusal

Diane Parry has identified Alycia Parks as the player who refused to help her during her unexpected Monterrey title run, turning a logistical problem into a public dispute at the US Open. Parry said Parks was not among the circuit’s most pleasant players, making clear that she had no hesitation about naming her.

Parry had entered the Monterrey tournament at the last minute and arrived on Saturday evening without match clothing or her racket bag. As her progress continued, she ran short of strings and asked other players for assistance in the locker room. Parks, she said, gave a firm refusal. Parks has since exited the US Open, losing in the opening round to Australian wildcard Taylah Preston, the world No. 100.

The controversy comes as Parry carries strong form into New York. The Frenchwoman won the Monterrey title last weekend and then opened her US Open campaign by defeating Viktorija Golubic 7-5, 6-4. The result strengthened her position as France’s top-ranked woman at No. 31 in the world.

Parry now faces Romania’s Sorana Cirstea in the second round. Her Monterrey success came after she was added to the draw at the last moment, and the confidence from that run has already carried into her Grand Slam campaign.