August 13, 2023 – Prime American juniors Learner Tien (17; Irvine, Calif.) and Clervie Ngounoue (17; Washington, D.C.) gained the USTA Boys’ and Women’ 18s Nationwide Championships at this time, incomes every a main-draw wild card into the US Open.
Tien, the highest seed within the boys’ occasion in Kalamazoo, Mich., gained his second consecutive boys’ 18s singles crown by defeating No. 10 seed Trevor Svajda (17; San Diego), 6-0, 6-4, 6-4. Svajda is the youthful brother of Zachary Svajda, who gained the boys’ 18s singles title in 2019 and 2021 (no occasion was held in 2020). Previous to Svajda and Tien, the final participant to win back-to-back 18s singles titles was Jack Sock in 2010-11.
Tien, then 16 years previous, fell within the opening spherical of the 2022 US Open in 4 units. He then went on to play a semester of school tennis at USC earlier than saying his intentions to show professional earlier this summer time. He gained his first skilled singles title at a USTA Professional Circuit M15 occasion in his hometown of Irvine in June.
Ngounoue was additionally the highest seed on the USTA Billie Jean King Women’ 18s occasion in San Diego. Recent off profitable the women’ singles title at Wimbledon, Ngounoue stormed via the 18s singles draw, not dropping a set en path to the ultimate. There she confronted hometown favourite Katherine Hui (18; San Diego), whom she dispatched 1-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Ngounoue, who now lives in Orlando and trains on the USTA Nationwide Campus, will probably be heading to the US Open for the second consecutive yr after profitable the 18s doubles title in San Diego final yr to earn her and companion Reese Brantmeier a main-draw doubles wild card. The No. 2 -ranked junior on the planet will probably be making her Grand Slam singles important draw debut.
Hui, who’s dedicated to play school tennis at Stanford subsequent yr, and Svajda, a rising highschool senior, will each earn a US Open Qualifying wild card.
Alexander Frusina (17; Conroe, Texas) and Adhithya Ganesan (17; Clarksburg, Md.) gained the boys’ 18s doubles title and can earn a US Open doubles wild card, whereas the women’ 18s doubles ultimate is about to be performed later this night. The profitable pair may even earn a US Open doubles wild card.
