Peter Polansky is a very lucky loser.
The 29-year-old from Thornhill, Ont., qualified for the French Open as a "lucky loser," the third time in the past six Grand Slams that Polansky has drawn the lucky number.
Polansky played in the main draws of the 2017 and '18 Australian Open as a lucky loser.
Lucky losers are players who lost in the final round of the qualifying event, but earn a spot in the main draw after a player drops out before the tournament has begun. The highest-ranked loser is chosen first, and so on, if more than one player withdraws. The theory is that this fills the draw with the strongest players available.
Lucky losers have gone on to win nine ATP and one WTA tournaments since 1978, though none of those wins were at Grand Slams. The latest lucky loser to win a tournament was Marco Cecchinato at the Hungarian Open in April.
Polansky lost his final qualification match Friday, but will face unseeded Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Hebert in the first round.
The Canadian Press
