ITF Press Release, October 3, 2024

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has confirmed the player field for the 2024 ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals, with 16 players set to compete at the Sichuan International Tennis Centre in Chengdu, China, P.R. on 16-20 October.

The eight boys and eight girls follow in the footsteps of some of the game’s current stars. Four Grand Slam women’s singles champions – Sofia Kenin, Jelena Ostapenko, Elena Rybakina and Marketa Vondrousova – have competed at the event, as have Leylah Fernandez, Taylor Fritz, Lorenzo Musetti, Andrey Rublev, Holger Rune and Casper Ruud.

Among the participants this year are US Open boys’ singles and girls’ singles champions, Spain’s Rafael Jodar and Great Britain’s Mika Stojsavljevic. Other players who will compete in Chengdu include girls’ world No. 1 Emerson Jones and three-time Grand Slam girls’ doubles champion Tyra Caterina Grant, as well as four other players who have reached junior Grand Slam singles finals this year.

2024 ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals – Boys

Rafael Jodar (ESP)

Mees Rottgering (NED)

Maxim Mrva (CZE)

Luca Preda (ROU)

Jan Kumstat (CZE)

Charlie Robertson (GBR)

Theo Papamalamis (FRA)

Hayden Jones (AUS)

Kim Jangjun (KOR) – alternate

2024 ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals – Girls

Emerson Jones (AUS)

Tyra Caterina Grant (USA)

Laura Samson (CZE)

Wakana Sonobe (JPN)

Teodora Kostovic (SRB)

Mika Stojsavljevic (GBR)

Jeline Vandromme (BEL)

Kristina Penickova (USA)

Antonia Vergara Rivera (CHI) – alternate

In addition to the prestige of lifting the trophy, players at the ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals compete for travel grants for the 2025 season, supporting players with their onward progression to professional tennis. All players receive grants based on the number of matches won throughout the week. A player winning the title without losing a match will win $19,000 (USD) in grants, while a player who finishes in 8th place without winning a match will receive $6,000 (USD) in grants.

The winner of each event will earn 850 ranking points (up from 750 in previous years), boosting their chance to claim the year-end world No. 1 ranking. A higher ITF Junior year-end ranking will enable players to access higher-level professional tournament opportunities through the ITF Junior Accelerator programme in 2025.

The players in both boys’ and girls’ events are drawn into two groups of four, and contest round-robin matches over the first three days of the event. The top two players in each group will advance to the semi-finals and finals over the weekend, with all other players contesting positional play-off matches.

Two players, Kim Jangjun and Antonia Vergara Rivera, will attend the event as alternates, replacing players who withdraw due to injury.

David Haggerty, ITF President, said: “Earning a place at the ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals is a superb achievement, rewarding players for their on-court success over the last 12 months. With so many of the stars of the sport having competed at previous editions of this event, we know that many of the players participating at the Finals in Chengdu will go on to have exciting professional careers. The ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors is an important pathway, giving young players opportunities to reach the top of the sport.”

Player quotes

Tyra Caterina Grant (USA): “I’m really looking forward to playing this prestigious tournament among the best juniors and I’m excited to show my best tennis in China. Lots of pros told me about when they played this tournament when they were younger and they all told me what a beautiful and important experience this was. I’m preparing to take home the title and end my junior career on a positive note.”

Rafael Jodar (ESP) said: “It’s going to be my first time in China and I am really looking forward to competing against the best junior tennis players. It will be also my last junior tournament and I see this tournament as the reward for all the tournaments I have played during this year.”

Mees Rottgering (NED): “I am going to love the battle in Chengdu and I am looking forward to visiting China.  I am very proud to qualify for this event, it will be a great ending to a good year with some pretty cool experiences.”

Laura Samson (CZE): “I am really looking forward to playing the Junior Finals again this year. It’s special to me and I’m sure it will be a great experience again. Last year I played many hard matches and it was really fun on and off court. The courts in Chengdu are great and the Chinese fans make a great atmosphere for the players.”