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“The money is gone,” Joint’s attorney Miller told The Washington Post. “It’s immensely disappointing.”
In her declaration filed last week, Joint described the timeline of events after losing to Keys: “Joint visited the prizemoney office and told a USTA rep there was a pending motion for preliminary injunction – the Brantmeier case – that could affect whether she could claim her winnings. When Joint asked about the deadline to claim the money, the rep informed her she had until Sept. 8, the final day of the tournament. Miller, her attorney, then requested an extension for Joint, which would allow her to make a decision after the judge ruled on the preliminary injunction motion. The USTA’s general counsel denied that request, according to Joint’s legal filing.”
Maya Joint after her loss to Madison Keys in the second round.Credit: AP
“The requirement to submit all paperwork by the close of the US Open has been in place for some time and each athlete makes their own determination in consultation with their school, the NCAA and/or personal representative to request prize money and/or reimbursement of expenses,” a UTSA spokesman said in a statement to The Washington Post.
“While we understand and are empathetic to Ms. Maya’s situation, it would be unfair and inequitable to change our practice or grant exceptions to these rules in the middle of a tournament after others have already made their decisions and submitted their paperwork based on the long-standing practice.”
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The second-to-last section of Joint’s declaration laid the stakes bare: “If I am forced to forfeit these funds, I am not aware of any means by which I will be able to recover payment of these funds from the USTA.”
An NCAA spokeswoman declined to comment on the situation.
Miller said Joint, along with many other elite athletes, wanted the chance to be part of a team after years of training alone, and the decision came down to her wanting the college experience.
“Those are all intangibles that don’t translate to a dollar,” he said. “What is it worth to you to be able to play with your peers, to be able to celebrate a win? Or having people support you when you’re going through a difficult time?