With the highlight of Europe’s junior tennis calendar just three weeks away, the European Tennis Federation (Tennis Europe) has unveiled a stellar player line-up for all three age categories of the European Junior Championships.
The events will be held during the week of 22-28 July at the following venues:
- Most, Czech Republic (14 & Under)
- Moscow, Russia (16 & Under)
- Klosters, Switzerland (18 & Under)
First played in 1976, the event features a total of 11 former world #1s and 18 Grand Slam winners feature among its list of singles champions.
The 14 & Under field is exceptionally strong. Current #1 Yaroslav Demin (RUS) and Mihai Coman (ROU) have been swapping places at the top of the boys’ rankings for the last few months and lead the entries. Vojtech Petr will also be among the favourites to claim the title in front of his home fans. The Czech has already claimed three Category 1 singles titles this season, including Les Petits As.
The girls’ list features 8 of the current Top 10 players, including new #1 Alisa Barankova, fresh from claiming her first 16 & Under Category 1 title in her native Ukraine last week, and home favourite Nikola Bartunkova, who has titles in Rakovnik and Piestany under her belt in recent weeks.
Last year’s 16 & Under champions have continued their paths to the top of the game, with Kamilla Bartone (LAT) breaking into the ITF Junior Top 20 and Carlos Alcaraz Garfia (ESP) recently becoming the youngest player in a decade to beat a Top 200 player at an ATP Challenger.
Chasing the girls’ title this year will be European #2 Diana Shnaider, a silver medallist at last year’s 14 & Under event, and former Junior Masters champion. The Russian could face her conqueror in Most, Linda Noskova (CZE), who will be hoping to use her experience to become one of a select few players to claim a European Junior title in more than one age category.
Mili Poljicak (CRO) will also be hoping to build on last year’s success. Having won doubles gold and a silver medal in singles, he is likely to be among the top 8 seeds of the boys’ event. Reigning Junior Masters champion Petr Nesterov (BUL) leads the list.
A winner of 3 ITF World Tennis Tour Junior tournaments already this season, Russia’s Alina Charaeva will head the girls 18 & Under entries. Amongst her challengers for the title is likely to be one of the Tour’s most talked-about players, Linda Fruhvirtova. The 14-year old Czech swept the singles and doubles titles at Les Petits As in January and has since gone on to establish herself on other circuits, with a 23-6 win/loss record in ITF Juniors and winning her first ever pro match in Budapest last week.
Belgium’s Gauthier Onclin leads the boys’ entries ahead of Harold Mayot – fresh from his first Grade 1 tournament win in Offenbach recently – and his team-mate from last year’s victorious French Summer Cups team Arthur Cazaux.
The 18 & Under Championships count towards the ITF World Tennis Tour Junior rankings, while the 14 and 16 & Under events offer the most ranking points of any event on the Tennis Europe Junior rankings. The winner and runner-up of the two younger age groups each also receive an invitation to compete at the season-ending Tennis Europe Junior Masters.
In addition to the on-court action, all three European Championship venues will also host a special session of the Tennis Europe Junior School, the innovative new educational programme design to prepare junior players for life as tennis professionals.
Player Nominations
14 & Under | 16 & Under | 18 & Under Boys | 18 & Under Girls
Fact Sheets
14 & Under | 16 & Under | 18 & Under