The Tennis Europe Junior Tour Players of the Year have been announced.
There are eight awards which are given to various players across different categories:
- The 4 top-ranked European 14 and 16 & Under boys and girls in the Race to Monte-Carlo at the end of the season
- 2 overseas players of the year
- 2 team awards: doubles and team/squad
- 1 special achievement award
Former recipients of the award include Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Martina Hingis, Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin, all world #1s.
GIRLS’ 14 & UNDER: JANA KOVACKOVA (Czechia)
2023 W/L: 49/9 (84%)
Kovackova was dominant all year and on all surfaces. The younger sister follows in the footsteps of her older sister who was last year’s player of the year. 2024 looks promising for the young Czech.
Tournament wins:
- Tennis Europe Junior Masters, Monte-Carlo
- TE U14 d’Annecy, Annecy (Category 1)
- Lexus Junior International, Roehampton (Category 1)
- 30th Ensana Piestany Cup, Piestany (Category 1)
Finalist:
- Internationale Deutsche Tennismeisterschaften, Dueren (Super Category)
- Soul Cup, Istanbul (Category 2)
- Trnava Cup, Trnava (Category 2)
BOYS’ 14 & UNDER: DANIEL JADE (France)
2023 W/L: 33/4 (89%)
Jade simply got better as the year went on, really peaking in summer and thereafter. He was arguably the jewel in the crown of the French 14&U boys’ Summer Cups team. He went undefeated in that event and helped steer France to a 13th win.
Tournament wins:
- Open Stade Français, Paris (Category 1)
- Tennis Europe Junior Masters, Monte-Carlo
Finalist:
- Les Petits As, Tarbes (Super Category)
- European Junior Championships, Most
GIRLS’ 16 & UNDER: LANA VIRC (Serbia)
2023 W/L: 35/9 (80%)
Having posted consistent results all year, this TEJT regular was able to stay atop the race rankings for the better part of 2023. She fell in the group stage at the TEJM.
Tournament wins:
- Alibaba Cup, Humenne (Category 2)
- Sofia Cup, Sofia (Category 2)
- Adriatic Cup, Veli Losinj (Category 2)
Finalist:
- Nis Open, Nis (Category 2)
- Yason Cup, Novi Sad (Category 2)
BOYS’ 16 & UNDER: KOLOS KINCSES (Hungary)
2023 W/L: 28/5 (85%)
Kincses led the Race for a good stretch of the year. He appeared in last month’s feature interview (click here) and despite an earlier than expected exit at the EJC in Parma, he was able to end the year on a high.
Tournament wins:
- Tennis Europe Junior Masters, Monte-Carlo
- Memorial Nacho Juncosa, Vic (Category 1)
- Sori Cup, Budapest (Category 2)
Finalist:
- Torneo Avvenire, Milan (Super Category)
OVERSEAS PLAYER OF THE YEAR (GIRLS) - EVA KORYSHEVA (Kazakhstan)
Year End Ranking #18
Starting the year strong with a win in Istanbul, she kept her form going through to the summer to then notch a win in Belgium at the Category 1 event. The Kazakh ended the year in the top 20 with a 24/5 win/loss (83%) record in singles. She also added two doubles trophies to her collection; a win (G16, Blois, Cat.3) and finalist (G14 , Annecy, Cat.1).
Tournament wins at 14&U Events:
- Young Champions Cup, Hasselt (Category 1)
- Soul Cup, Istanbul (Category 2)
OVERSEAS PLAYER OF THE YEAR (BOYS) - DANIEL TAZABEKOV (Kazakhstan)
Year End Ranking #20
A participant in just seven TEJT events in 2023, Tazabekov’s results were consistently high to ensure the year-end #20 spot and earn him this award. His win/loss record is 15/7 (68%) for the year and the Kazakh was able to clinch 2 doubles titles this season: The Apple Bowl in Aviles, Spain (Cat.1) and in Tolentino, Italy (Cat.1).
Tournament highlights at 16&U singles events:
- QF: Torneo Avvenire, Milan (Super Category)
- R16: Tolentino (Category 1)
DOUBLES TEAM OF THE YEAR - B14 TOMAS KREJCI (CZE) & JAKUB KUSY (CZE)
This team started the year strongly, reaching two Super Category finals. Heading into the summer, the pair played superbly on home soil taking 3 titles there, including the jewel in the crown: the European Junior Championships. This team also made an impact on the 16&U circuit, earning two more finalist trophies for what was, all in all, a stellar year on the doubles court.
3 Tournament wins together:
- European Junior Championships, Most
- 30th Ensana Piestany Cup, Piestany (Category 1)
- Most Open, Most (Category 1)
Finalists:
- Les Petits As, Tarbes (Super Category)
- Kungens Kanna & Drottningens Pris, Stockholm (Super Category)
- ZLTC Brno Cup, Brno (Category 2) [16&U]
- Tennis Bors Cup Czech International Championship, Breclav (Category 2) [16&U]
NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR - CZECHIA 16&U GIRLS
Two team titles and undefeated by any other European team all year puts this team head and shoulders above any other. Eliska Forejtkova, Tereza Krejcova and Julie Pastikova went 15 and 2 to land the Winter Cups title. Forejtkova was brought back into the fold for the Summer Cups and was joined by Wimbledon Junior Doubles Champs and former Junior Tour Players of the Year Alena Kovackova and Laura Samsonova. The three, reunited from the 14&U days, formed an unstoppable team yet again to give the Czechs their seventh win in the event. The same three players then went on to the finals of the Junior Billie Jean King Cup where the US team halted them at the last hurdle. An amazing year: congratulations team Czechia.
Champions:
Finalists:
- Junior Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD - DARINA MATVEJEVA (Latvia)
2023 W/L: 50/2 (96%)
The Special Achievement award is not given every year unless there is a player with outstanding results. This time, we could not overlook Darina Matvejeva, who earned recognition by winning all eight 12 & Under Category 1 tournaments in 2023 without dropping a single set in any match throughout those events. Additionally, she reached the semifinals at the 12 & Under Festival.
Two weeks ago she played the 14&U event in Prague, making it all the way to the final where she lost in three tough sets, thus contributing to her overall win/loss for 2023 as mentioned above. Nevertheless, the Latvian’s amazing 46 wins and just 1 loss (98%) on the 12&U circuit is a remarkable feat which is worthy of mention. Congratulations.
Tournament Wins:
- 34ème Open 10-12 TCBB, Boulogne-Billancourt (Category 1)
- Open Super 12 Auray, Auray (Category 1)
- TEJT 12&U Villeneuve-Loubet, Villeneuve-Loubet (Category 1)
- Euroregion Nisa Cup, Hradek Nad Nisou (Category 1)
- Torneo U12 Porto San Giorgio, San Giorgio (Category 1)
- O pohár hejtmana Zlínského kraje, Zlin (Category 1)
- Koblenz Junior Open, Koblenz (Category 1)
- Top 10-12 Bressuire, Bressuire (Category 1)
For more information about the winners, check our social media channels.