Hannah Klugman’s rankings rise is confirmed as year-end Junior No 1s are crowned
Hannah Klugman cemented her status as one of the rising stars of the game with a victory in the Orange Bowl in Florida last weekend and now her rise up the ITF’s junior rankings has been confirmed.
The historic under-18 tournament ranks alongside the grand slams as one of the biggest events in the junior game, with recent winners including grand slam champions Coco Gauff, Bianca Andreescu and Sofia Kenin.
Klugman defeated top seed Laura Samsonova in the quarter-finals and fourth seed Iva Jovic in the last four before a 6-3 6-3 success against American Tyra Grant in the final on Sunday.
She is the first British player to win the main girls’ title having finished runner-up in the under-14 tournament last year.
Klugman said: “It’s an amazing feeling. I played 14s last year and made the final. I was really gutted I didn’t get the win, and obviously, to get the win at under-18s, I’m still just 14, it’s incredible. This is still just part of the journey, a little step, but it’s nice.
“I was walking past the poster with all the great players (who have won). I saw Coco Gauff. It’s good that I can be on that board. It doesn’t mean anything in the big picture but hopefully I can make it.”
The Orange Bowl win saw Klugman follow in the footsteps of some big names who have won the title, with Coco Gauff winning the event in 2018.
Now it has been confirmed that Klugman has broken into the top ten of the ITF’s junior rankings, with her year-end ranking of No 9 confirming her impressive rise as she competes against players who are older than her on the junior circuit.
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Klugman, from Wimbledon, has also already started to make her mark in the women’s game, elevating her ranking inside the top 700.
The ITF have also crowned their year-end Junior No 1’s, with Brazil’s Joao Fonseca capping a stellar year by sealing top spot.
Fonseca won the US Open junior event in September and has shared a coury with Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz in recent weeks as a hitting partner for the top two players in the men’s game.
“I am very proud of my junior career and it is an honour to be the first Brazilian ever to finish the year as the No. 1 in the world and receive the ITF World Champion award,” said Fonseca, a Davis Cup Juniors champion with Brazil in 2022.
“We have had so many amazing players in juniors over the years. I hope to inspire the next generation and achieve all the amazing things that all the Brazilian legends achieved.”
Following a silverware-laden season in which she has sparkled under the spotlight, Alina Korneeva has finished the campaign as the year-end No. 1-ranked girl in the ITF rankings.
It has been a stunning 12 months for the Moscow-born 16-year-old who has triumphed at junior level but also within the professional ranks having chalked up two eye-catching victories on the ITF World Tennis Tour.
“I am so happy with the results that I have had this year and, of course, I am so happy to be the year-end No. 1,” said Korneeva. “But I do not want to stop there. I cannot wait for next season, and I hope it will bring some new things.
“I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who has supported me and helped me to achieve the results I have had. I would also like to say big congratulations to all the players for an incredible year – all the best for 2024.”
