Cooper, Chasteau named Junior Wheelchair Players of the Year for 2024
USA’s Charlie Cooper and Ksenia Chasteau of France have been named as the recipients of the International Tennis Federation’s Wheelchair Tennis Junior of the Year Awards for 2024.
Introduced by the ITF in January 2020, the Junior of the Year Award recognises and honours a junior who demonstrates the values of commitment, consistency and sportsmanship whilst accomplishing impressive performance results throughout the year.
Nominations for the awards are sent to the ITF Wheelchair Tennis Committee and after careful consideration of the shortlist, Cooper and Chasteau were chosen as this year’s worthy winners.
Seventeen-year-old Cooper has enjoyed great success in both junior and senior competition in 2024, winning five junior singles titles thought the year. He beat Dutchman Ivar van Rijt for the first time to win the boys’ singles title at the US Open Junior Wheelchair Tennis Championships in New York, where he was also a finalist in the boys’ doubles and subsequently returned to a career-best No. 5 in the Cruyff Foundation Junior Wheelchair Tennis Ranking.
Prior to the closing date for ITF Junior Boy of the Year Award nominations, Cooper had also won his first two senior men’s singles titles on the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tenis Tour - at the USTA Northern California Section Championships, where he beat higher-ranked fellow American Conner Stroud for the first time, and at the Kamloops Legacy Wheelchair Tennis Tournament. He has since added a third senior men’s singles title, at the Bourassa Savaria International Open and has improved his senior men’s singles ranking by 30 places this year,
The ITF Wheelchair Tennis Committee also acknowledged Cooper’s dedication, achievements, and the outstanding team spirit he demonstrated both on and off the court while representing the USA junior team at the 2024 BNP Paribas World Team Cup. Cooper remained unbeaten in all his singles and doubles matches to help lead USA to the junior title
Meanwhile, he was also commended for his fantastic commitment to wheelchair tennis by supporting local programmes and grassroots camps. The positive example he provides to others with his work ethic, his respect and compassion for fellow players and his enjoyment from showing younger players how to play wheelchair tennis makes him a great ambassador for the sport.
After learning of his award during this week’s High Performance Junior Wheelchair Tennis Camp in Orlando, which is part of UNIQLO’s Next Generation Development Programme and is supported by the Fast-Retailing Foundation, Cooper said:
“First of all I would like to thank the USTA and all the coaching team for helping me – coach Shingo (Kunieda), coach Jason (Harnett), coach Paul (Walker), coach Evan, Dana Mathewson and Dr. Lauer (USTA mental skills specialist).
“It’s been really good being able to come here (to the USTA National Campus), working with Shingo a lot, getting beat up in practice by him and learning from everyone. It’s an honour to be here, it’s been a good year and now I have to have a good year next year.”
Named Junior Girl of the Year, 18-year-old Ksenia Chasteau began 2024 by winning the Cruyff Foundation Junior Masters girls’ singles and doubles titles in Tarbes in January and went on to add further success in her home country when winning the girls’ singles and doubles titles at the inaugural Roland Garros Junior Wheelchair Tennis Championships.
After first reaching No. 1 on the Cruyff Foundation Junior Wheelchair Tennis Ranking in August 2023, Chasteau stayed at the top spot until August this year, more recently focusing on senior competition.
Following her Roland Garros success she returned to Paris later in the year to make her Paralympic debut at Paris 2024, reaching the second round of the women’s singles and subsequently reaching her current career-best women’s singles ranking at No. 20.
Chasteau also made her senior debut for the French women’s team at the BNP Paribas World Team Cup, winning two of her four matches to help France to earn the women’s bronze medal.
On the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour she has won three junior singles title this season and her first senior ITF 3 women’s singles title at the Commit Open, while the highlight of five doubles titles was her first ITF 2 women’s doubles title at the German Open.
The ITF Wheelchair Tennis Committee recognised Chasteau’s commitment, results and her team qualities, both on and off court, when helping France to the women’s bronze medal at the BNP Paribas World Team Cup and commended her fantastic commitment to wheelchair tennis.
She makes a significant contribution to the sport and to society through her role as an ambassador for Yannick Noah’s Fete le Mur association and provides a positive example to others with her work ethic, respect and compassion for fellow players. As with Charlie Cooper, the enjoyment Chasteau gains from showing younger players how to play wheelchair tennis makes her a great ambassador for the sport.
On receiving news of her award, Chasteau said:
“I'm delighted to receive the ITF Girl of the Year award for 2024, which means so much to me. It reflects all the hard work I've put in with my team, as well as the unwavering support of my family and all the people who have encouraged me along the way. The year 2024 has been particularly fruitful for me, with many significant titles in my progression.
“Thank you to the ITF for this wonderful recognition and to the wheelchair tennis community who inspire me every day to give my best. I can't wait to create the next chapter of my dreams on the ITF Tour. I was deeply moved by the Paralympic Games, a sporting event that will remain forever in my heart.”