ITF Press Release, December 13, 2024
An expert panel has selected six players to form the ITF Class of 2024, with the athletes being featured on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) website and across ITF social media channels throughout the last week.
The six players named in the ITF Class of 2024 are:
- Nicolai Budkov Kjaer (NOR)
- Iva Jovic (USA)
- Sara Saito (JPN)
- Solana Sierra (ARG)
- Learner Tien (USA)
- Tereza Valentova (CZE)
The ITF’s ‘Class of…’ series recognises and celebrates players who have had a successful year on the ITF World Tennis Tour, identifying the year’s most promising and breakthrough talents, and those predicted to go on to even bigger and better things next year.
This year’s group was decided by a panel of experts – Ashley Keber (WTA), James Marsalek (ATP), Mark Woodforde (ITF), Mary Pierce (ITF) and Nao Kawatei (ITF) – following a vote from a shortlist of 14 players.
Among the players who have previously been included in the ITF’s ‘Class of…’ series are Jakub Mensik (2022) and Mirra Andreeva (2023), both of whom have since established themselves among the sport’s elite.
David Haggerty, ITF President, said: “Congratulations to the six players included in the ITF Class of 2024. Recognition by our expert panel is a testament to the players’ talent and dedication and is a celebration of their achievements over the last 12 months. Like many players previously included in the ITF’s ‘Class of…’ series, I am sure that the Class of 2024 will continue their progress towards to highest-level of the sport.”
ITF Class of 2024
Nicolai Budkov Kjaer (NOR)
Budkov Kjaer continues the recent trend of talented junior players from Norway, with the 18-year-old having won the boys’ singles title at Wimbledon this year and is projected to end the 2024 season as the boys world No. 1. He has also enjoyed success in the professional game, winning two singles titles on the ITF World Tennis Tour, winning matches at ATP Challenger-level and playing Davis Cup for Norway.
Read the full Nicolai Budkov Kjaer article here
Iva Jovic (USA)
Still aged just 17, Jovic ends the year inside the WTA Top 200 following a superb three month spell which saw her reach the 2nd round on her Grand Slam women’s singles debut at the US Open before winning two ITF World Tennis Tour women’s singles titles, at W35 Berkeley and W75 Rancho Santa Fe. She also contested nine junior events in 2024, reaching the quarter-finals or better at eight of those tournaments.
Read the full Iva Jovic article here
Sara Saito (JPN)
Saito is well placed for an assault on the Top 100 in 2025, having climbed nearly 200 places this year to finish the season at a career-high No. 156. The 18-year-old has focused almost exclusively on professional events in 2024, reaching finals at W50 Nonthaburi and then W75 Burnie before claiming the title at W100 Biarritz in June. Further success came in October as she reached the quarter-finals on her Tour-level debut at Osaka, suggesting a very bright future for one of Japan’s most talented young players.
Solana Sierra (ARG)
20-year-old Sierra is the oldest player in the Class of 2024, with the promise that she showed as a junior (a girls’ singles finalist at both the 2021 US Open and 2022 Roland Garros) beginning to translate to the women’s game. She has won a joint tour-leading six ITF World Tennis Tour titles this season, including four in her home country, and ends the year at No. 145 in the WTA rankings. A recipient of an international player grant, funded by the Grand Slam Player Development Programme, in 2024, Sierra’s results prove that was a wise investment.
Read the full Solana Sierra article here
Learner Tien (USA)
Having reached two Grand Slam junior singles finals in 2023, Tien has further burnished his credentials this season, with the 19-year-old finishing the year within reach of the ATP Top 100. He has claimed four titles on the ITF World Tennis Tour and three on the ATP Challenger Tour in 2024, as well as reaching his first Tour-level quarter-final as a qualifier at Winston-Salem. With such an accomplished season under his belt, it would be no surprise to see Tien on the sport’s biggest stages in 2025.
Read the full Learner Tien article here
Tereza Valentova (CZE)
Valentova’s successes on both the junior and professional tours this year further underline Czechia’s ability to produce outstanding players, with the 17-year-old winning the girls’ singles title at Roland Garros (becoming the third Czech player to do so in the last four years) and putting in a series of strong performances in women’s singles events. She won five ITF World Tennis Tour women’s singles titles this season, winning a total of 38 matches to just five defeats.
