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Junior Masters Wild Cards Announced
Max Lorincik (SVK), Daniel Baranes (ISR), Lenny Petit (MON) and Eleonora Toneva (BUL) have been awarded wild cards to compete at the Junior Masters in Monte-Carlo, due to start in less than two weeks
Max Lorincik from Slovakia, the first player born in 2011 to rank within the top 15 of the Race to Monte-Carlo (currently 14th), has competed in four Junior Tour finals this year, clinching the title at the Kaleva Open.
Winner at the 2023 12 & Under Festival, Daniel Baranes will fill the final spot in the 14 & Under Girls category. This year, Baranes secured a Category 1 title in Helsinki and reached the finals at the Torneo Avvenire, also a Category 1 event.
Lenny Petit is familiar with the Monte-Carlo Country Club, having competed at the Masters in the 14 & Under event in 2022. With two ITF titles under his belt, he is set to return, aiming to surpass his previous achievements, now in the 16 & Under category.
Eleonora Toneva, currently ranked 8th in the Race, will join her compatriots Kaloyan Shikov (B16) and Valeria Garnevska (G16), completing both the Bulgarian team and the Girls 16 & Under lineup. Toneva has played four Junior Tour finals this year and won two of them.
Additionally, the competition has seen a few changes in its line-up. In the Boys' 14 & Under category, #5 ranked Izan Banares has withdrawn, allowing #9 ranked Alex Tuomolin (FIN) to enter the event. Similarly, in the Girls’ 14 & Under event, top-ranked Jana Kovackova (CZE) has withdrawn, creating the opportunity for #9 Megan Knight (GBR) to join.
The Junior Masters, hosted by the Monegasque Tennis Federation for the fourth consecutive year, will take place from October 22-26. Complete profiles of the 32 qualified players are available below:
Boys 14 & Under
Eric Lorimer (GBR, Race Rank: #1) | Profile
Scott Watson (GBR, #2) | Profile
Niall Pickerd-Barua (GBR, #3) | Profile
Andrei Radu (ROU, #5=) | Profile
Johann Nagel-Heyer (GER, #7) | Profile
Pablo Pradat (FRA, #8) | Profile
Alex Tuomolin (FIN, #9) | Profile
Max Lorincik (SVK, #14) | Profile
Girls 14 & Under
Viktorija Cesonyte (GER, #2) | Profile
Laura Chlumska (CZE, #3) | Profile
Katerina Zajickova (CZE, #4) | Profile
Maria Valentina Pop (ROU, #6) | Profile
Anastasiia Nikolaieva (UKR, #7) | Profile
Ayse Bal (TUR, #8) | Profile
Megan Knight (GBR, #9) | Profile
Daniel Baranes (ISR, #13) | Profile
Boys 16 & Under
Goncalo da Rosa Castro (POR, Race Rank: #1) | Profile
Jan Urbanski (POL, #2) | Profile
Mark Becirovic Novak (SLO, #3) | Profile
Yannick Alexandrescou (ROU, #4) | Profile
Kaloyan Shikov (BUL, #5) | Profile
Marko Savija (SRB, #6=) | Profile
Nand Vandepoele (BEL, #6=) | Profile
Lenny Petit (MON) | Profile
Girls 16 & Under
Tea Kovacevic (BIH, Race Rank: #1) | Profile
Valeria Garnevska (BUL, #2) | Profile
Ioana Maria Sandru (ROU, #3) | Profile
Carla Giambelli (ITA, #4=) | Profile
Oliwia Sybicka (POL, #4=) | Profile
Vlada Razina (#6=) | Profile
Selena Romero (ESP, #6=) | Profile
Eleonora Toneva (BUL, #8) | Profile
Junior Masters players revealed
Tennis Europe has confirmed the line-up for the 2024 Junior Masters, scheduled to take place at the iconic Monte-Carlo Country Club from 22-26 October. The prestigious event brings together Europe's most talented junior players, showcasing the top-performing boys and girls of 2024 in the 14 & Under and 16 & Under categories.
The 28 players confirmed today (listed below) have collectively won 869 singles matches on the Tennis Europe Junior Tour this season, securing a total of 49 singles titles.
The Boys 14 & Under category is led by #1 Eric Lorimer of Great Britain, followed by compatriots Scott Watson and Niall Pickerd-Barua. As for the girls, top-ranked Jana Kovackova (CZE) can't return to Monte-Carlo to defend her 2023 title, so Viktorija Cesonyte of Germany is leading the line-up.
The 16 & Under fields will welcome both European Championships gold medalists Carla Giambelli (ITA) and Yannick Alexandrescou (ROU). Giambelli will face strong competition from 14 & Under European champion Tea Kovacevic, who has dominated the 16 & Under rankings for much of the season.
A total of 17 nations will be represented. Romania leads the way with four qualifiers, while Czechia and the United Kingdom each have three competitors.
First held in 1996, the Tennis Europe Junior Masters boasts an impressive list of former champions, including Rafa Nadal, Kim Clijsters, Alexander Zverev, and Belinda Bencic. The event is played under a round-robin format, with each age category featuring 8 players split into two groups of 4. The group winners will advance to compete in the final.
The event is being hosted for a fourth consecutive year by the Monegasque Tennis Federation. Fans can follow the action through live streaming on the Tennis Europe website and mobile app, with live broadcasts available on the Tennis Channel in selected European regions.
Player reactions:
Yannis Alexandrescou (ROU, Boys 16 & Under)
"I am really grateful to be participating in this year’s Masters! It’s such a privilege for me to play in one of the most beautiful tennis clubs of the world with amazing conditions. Looking forward to overachieving my bronze medal of last year."
Tea Kovacevic (BIH, Girls 16 & Under)
“I’m very glad about this year’s results and being #1 in the Race and that I’ll be playing 16&U in Monte-Carlo and I’m very happy with my results. I’ve heard a lot about the tournament - I mostly know everyone but I’m looking forward to meeting new players there and and to having a great tournament!”
Eric Lorimer (GBR, Boys 14 & Under)
“The Junior Masters is a prestigious event. I was pushing hard to try and compete there and definitely had my eyes set on it!”
Laura Chlumska (CZE, Girls 14 & Under)
“It was one of my goals for this year to play this tournament and I’m really looking forward to playing at the Monte Carlo Country Club. I’ve heard a lot about this tournament and it’s an honour to be one of the players that have an opportunity to experience the hospitality and atmosphere of the tournament.”
Boys 14 & Under
Eric Lorimer (GBR, Race Rank: #1) | Profile
Scott Watson (GBR, #2) | Profile
Andrei Radu (ROU, #5=) | Profile
Johann Nagel-Heyer (GER, #7) | Profile
Pablo Pradat (FRA, #8) | Profile
Alex Tuomolin (FIN, #9) | Profile
wild card TBC
Girls 14 & Under
Viktorija Cesonyte (GER, #2) | Profile
Laura Chlumska (CZE, #3) | Profile
Katerina Zajickova (CZE, #4) | Profile
Maria Valentina Pop (ROU, #6) | Profile
Anastasiia Nikolaieva (UKR, #7) | Profile
Ayse Bal (TUR, #8) | Profile
Megan Knight (GBR, #9) | Profile
wild card TBC
Boys 16 & Under
Goncalo da Rosa Castro (POR, Race Rank: #1) | Profile
Jan Urbanski (POL, #2) | Profile
Mark Becirovic Novak (SLO, #3) | Profile
Yannick Alexandrescou (ROU, #4) | Profile
Kaloyan Shikov (BUL, #5) | Profile
Marko Savija (SRB, #6=) | Profile
Nand Vandepoele (BEL, #6=) | Profile
wild card TBC
Girls 16 & Under
Tea Kovacevic (BIH, Race Rank: #1) | Profile
Valeria Garnevska (BUL, #2) | Profile
Ioana Maria Sandru (ROU, #3) | Profile
Carla Giambelli (ITA, #4=) | Profile
Oliwia Sybicka (POL, #4=) | Profile
Vlada Razina (#6=) | Profile
Selena Romero (ESP, #6=) | Profile
wild card TBC
New champions crowned in Barcelona
With just five tournaments taking place this week it was crunch time on the Tennis Europe Junior Tour, as this was the last week counting towards the Race to Monte-Carlo. Two Category One events were held, offering plenty of points to the winners.
WORLD TEC CUP | 14&U Cat.1, Barcelona (ESP)
Prior to the kickoff, the tournament had already set a record for the highest number of registrations for a Category One tournament this year. Last weekend saw the qualifying take place as well as the Junior School session on Monday featuring various topics and a Q&A session with former Roland-Garros champion Albert Costa.
This tournament saw some surprises with the top seed, Andrei Radu (ROU) defeated in the first round and the second seed Izan Bañares (ESP) taken out in round three. The girls’ top seed, Sofie Mottlová (CZE) made it to the quarterfinals as did the number two seed Daniel Baranes (ISR), who was taken out by the eventual runner-up.
In the end, the tournament went the way of the in-form Russian players. Nikita Berdin won his final 6-2 7-5 against Toni Escarda (ESP) whose ankle sprain late in the second set halted his potential comeback, while Wildcard Arina Fomina was too strong for Elizaveta Anikina (EST) taking the title 6-3 6-3.
The event saw a flurry of social media activity throughout the week and plenty of action taking place on the hard courts of Barcelona. Furthermore, Tennis Europe staff were accompanied by the Vice President of the Spanish Tennis Federation, Jordi Tamayo, on a tour of the new venue currently being constructed which will be ready in time for next year’s tournament. The club is nestled among the green hills of the Barcelona outskirts, with a strong focus on sustainability, water recycling and renewable energy.
2nd Alibaba Cup | 16&U Cat.1, Humenne (SVK)
Selena Romero (ESP) solidified her spot in the Race to Monte-Carlo with a 6-2 6-4 win over Darina Matvejeva (LAT), playing in her second 16&U final, having already won the Category 2 even in Waiblingen. It was Romero’s fourth title of the season, and first outside of Spain. Serb Marko Savija won the boys’ title over Nand Vandepoele (BEL) 4-6 6-3 6-4 for his second singles title of 2024.
More from the TEJT:
→ Eva Kozlova won 14&U Cat.2 title in Mugla, Turkiye for a third title of the season.
→ Adam Napari (FIN) and Rose Thach (FRA) won the 12&U Category 1 event in Bressuire, France. It was a a second Cat.1 win for the Finn and a first for the French girl, with both players hoping to qualify for the Carlos Moyà 12&U Festival in November.
→ As this is the last week counting towards Race to Monte-Carlo points, a preview of the 2024 Tennis Europe Junior Masters will be published in the coming days. Watch this space.
For a full results from this week, click here.
European 16&U Championships - as it happened
Carla Giambelli and Yannick Alexandrescou are Europe's new 16&U champions after a thrilling week in Parma. Re-live all the action here... here...