Two weeks of tennis in Paris have produced fruitful results for European players, not least of all in the junior draws. In the main draws, players emerging from the #TEJT have also made their mark, giving tennis fans and experts alike a crystal ball into an even more promising future for some of these hopefuls. Let’s take a look at an enthralling fortnight from the French capital.
JUNIOR GIRLS
Alina Korneeva has backed up her Australian Open junior title win with victory in on the clay in Paris. The 15-year-old outdid Peruvian Lucciana Perez Alarcorn 7-6(4) 6-3 in the final. “I came here to win … today I think I won because of my mental game,” stated the Tennis Europe #2 ranked player post-match. More stand-out results from European players included:
- Anastasiia Gureva and Alisa Oktiabreva were semifinalists. Gureva was a doubles gold medalist at the 14&U EJC in 2019 and doubles runner-up in Avvenire (Milan) in the same year. Oktiabreva won two 14&U singles titles in 2021 on the #TEJT and was runner-up at the Christmas Cup in 2022.
- Dane Rebecca Munk Mortenesen was a quarterfinalist as was Alevtina Ibragimova.
- Junior Tour regulars who also did well to reach Round 3 included: Melisa Ercan (TUR), Tereza Valentova (CZE) and Charo Esquiva Banuls (ESP)
- 2022 player of the year, EJC gold medalist (14&U) and Junior Masters champion (16&U) Alena Kovackova (CZE), one of the youngest participants in Paris, fell in round 2 to Alarcorn
- Girls’ doubles final: Tyra Caterina Grant (USA) & Clervie Ngounoue (USA) def Alina Korneeva & Sarah Saito (JAP) 6-3 6-2
JUNIOR BOYS
2019 Junior Masters champion (14&U) Dino Prizmic won the boys’ singles title. At 17 years of age, the Croat took out Juan Carlos Prado Angelo of Bolivia 6-1 6-4 in the decider. He becomes the second player from Croatia to win the Junior boys’ title, following in the footsteps of 2005 champ Marin Cilic.
Having won the silver medal at last year’s European 18&U Championships, Prizmic has been focusing on pro tennis ever since, already reaching the top 300 in the ATP rankings. Upon returning to junior competition for Roland Garros he gushed, “it’s my dream since I was a kid.” Other notable results:
- Only two other Europeans made the boys’ quarterfinals, in the form of reigning European 16&U champion Joel Schwaerzler (AUT) and Henry Searle (GBR), who fell to the eventual champ.
- Other well-known faces from the #TEJT to make an impact in Paris including Maxim Mrva (CZE) Round 3; Alexander Blockx (BEL) Round 3; Reigning European 14&U champion Thijs Boogaard (NED) Round 2; Mihai Alexandru Coman (ROU) Round 2.
- The biggest upset came in Round 1, with top seeded Mexican Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez capitulating at the first hurdle.
- Boys’ doubles final: Yaroslav Demin & Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez (MEX) def Lorenzo Sciahbasi (ITA) & Gabriele Vulpitta (ITA) 6-2 6-3
MAIN DRAW
Some recent Junior Tour stars also stepped up to make an impact in the main draw:
- Mirra Andreeva kept up her amazing run of form, making it to R2 where she fell to Coco Gauff
- Linda Noskova (CZE) was halted in round 2 by an under-the-weather Elena Rybakina, who later withdrew from the event due to illness
- Diana Schnaider was also stopped in the second round, losing to the eventual semi-finalist Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA)
- Clara Tauson (DEN) beat Leylah Fernandez (CAN) in round two before her run ended in round 3
- Brenda Fruhvirtova was another of Rybakina’s victims, her hopes dashed by the Kazakh in Round 1
- Linda Fruhvirtova also fell at the first stage, downed by 2021 runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
- Luca Van Assche (FRA) made it to R2, falling to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in straight sets
- Wildcard Arthur Cazaux (FRA) was stopped in R1 by compatriot Corentin Moutet
#1s SWIATEK & DJOKOVIC IN CHARGE
Third time’s a charm for Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek, both of whom can now lay claim to a trio of titles in Paris as well as being former European Junior Champions. The singles podium was dominated by players from the region:
- Djokovic claimed a record-breaking Slam #23, defeating Casper Ruud (NOR) in the final 7-6(1) 6-3 7-5
- Swiatek won her third Roland Garros and fourth Slam overall, beating Karolina Muchova (CZE) in the final
- An unseeded Muchova played her first ever Grand Slam final and took out Maria Sakkari (R1), Paylyuchenkova (QF) and Aryna Sabalenka (SF) on her way to the decider
- Men’s doubles final: Ivan Dodig (CRO) & Austin Krajicek (USA) def Sander Gille (BEL) & Joran Vliegen (BEL) 6-3 6-1
- Women’s doubles final: Su-Wei Hseih (TPE) & Xinyu Wang (CHN) def Leylah Fernandez (CAN) & Taylor Townsend (USA) 1-6 7-6(5) 6-1
- Mixed doubles final: Miyo Kato (JAP) & Tim Puetz (GER) def Bianca Andreescu (CAN) & Michael Venus (NZL) 4-6 6-4 10-6