Newly-crowned Australian Open girls’ champion Petra Marcinko believes the moment she stood on Rod Laver Arena with trophy in hand, with the scale of her achievement beginning to sink in, is a memory that will last forever.

Marcinko justified her status as the top-ranked girl on the planet and the No. 1 seed here as she dispatched in-form Sofia Costoulas of Belgium 7-5 6-1 to claim the season’s maiden Junior Grand Slam title.

The 16-year-old is the fourth Croatian player to top the Australian Open girls’ podium after Mirjana Lucic, Jelena Kostanic and Ana Konjuh, and the first to lift Junior Grand Slam silverware since Konjuh and Borna Coric at the 2013 US Open.

It continues Marcinko’s ascent following a blistering end to 2021, which saw her seal the year-end No. 1 spot and be named an ITF World Champion. For a player clearly on an upward trajectory, her latest triumph was both special and moving in equal measure.

“This is a moment and a memory that will last forever,” Marcinko told itftennis.com. “My first Grand Slam title and I hope not the only one, but this is going to be one of the best memories I will have for sure.

“I was really hoping this would happen. It was my goal to win a Junior Grand Slam, but it has been far from reality for a long time. It means a lot to me and to my coaches, my family and my dad as they gave a lot for my tennis.

“At the moment of victory, I was like, ‘no way have I just done this’. I had no words. I was thinking, ‘have I actually just won the Australian Open and won a Junior Grand Slam title?’. It felt amazing.

“Playing on Rod Laver was a great experience also. I was nervous at the beginning because it was a big stadium and my first time playing a Junior Grand Slam final, but I kept calm in the important moments.

“I also kept my game throughout and didn’t have any big drops. Having this trophy and winning a Grand Slam is so big.”

By sealing a Junior Grand Slam title, Marcinko has followed in footsteps of some stellar figures from the world of tennis, while her name will be forever etched on the Australian Open roll of honour.

On the eve of the final, the teenager revealed that after sitting down to eat earlier this week, she spied photographs of past Junior Grand Slam winners here, prompting thoughts of personal glory.

“I saw a lot of pictures on the wall where we were eating, there were a lot of good players and I knew all of them,” said Marcinko. “Imagining my name and my picture being there is amazing. I just want to see it there next year – I cannot wait for that.”

A Junior Grand Slam title is a significant moment in the career of any aspiring player and often prompts questions about what the future may hold and a player’s direction of travel.

Marcinko already has solid experience within the professional ranks having reached quarter-finals and semi-finals at ITF World Tennis Tour events last season.

To boost her development, Marcinko is one of 44 players, both professional and junior, to have been awarded financial assistance through an ITF-administered Grand Slam Player Grant in 2022.

The Grand Slam Player Development Programme (formerly known as the Grand Slam Development Fund) was established by the four Grand Slam tournaments in 1986 to increase competitive opportunities for players from developing tennis regions.

Marcinko will receive a grant of $25,000 as a contribution towards competition-related costs, with the overriding aim being her tennis evolution and ability to gain competitive experience at international level, including at the Grand Slams.

“I am really excited about the future,” added Marcinko.

“I am feeling good and feeling confident. I am excited to see how it is going to be at pro level, which I am going to play this year. I want to see how I do at stronger ITF tournaments and maybe some WTA events. I am really excited.

“I have learned a lot about myself this week. I have learned that I can cope with the pressure of being the top seed and there being big expectations. It hasn’t affected me in a bad way.

“I have had lots of experience of different opponents and different matches, and while I have been improving on this a lot, I played the important points well here and that’s a big thing for me.”

Costoulas, while disappointed, was magnanimous in defeat, admitting “little details” were a major factor in defeat as the second set simply ran away from the No. 8 seed.

However, as the 16-year-old alluded to in the build-up to the final, there is life beyond a Junior Grand Slam, with Costoulas, like Marcinko, keen to grasp the positives and apply key learnings from her Australian Open odyssey.

“It is definitely still a great experience to reach the final at a Junior Grand Slam,” said Costoulas, who is ranked No. 10 in the junior world rankings.

“I had a great time here, played very good matches and had the chance to play on Margaret Court Arena and Rod Laver Arena, so what more can you ask for? I am very happy with my week. I’m disappointed for today but Petra played a very good match.

“I feel I have shown that I have the level to play against anyone of any ranking. I have got a lot of confidence and feel like I can play against the best players in the world.

“I have also gained experience of playing on big courts and I will take that experience with me forever. I am very excited about the future. There is still a long road ahead of me, but I will keep working hard and see if I can get to where I want to be one day.”