ITF World Tennis Tour Player of the Month: Alina Korneeva
Alina Korneeva has been named ITF World Tennis Tour Player of the Month for September after making an instant return to winning ways following seven months out with injury.
Nominated alongside Talia Gibson, Omar Jasika and Solana Sierra, the 17-year-old came out on top of a fan-vote across the ITF website and social media in acknowledgement of her impressive return to court over the past month.
"Thank you so much to everyone who voted for me," said Korneeva this week. "Winning this award means a lot, especially so soon after my comeback from injury. It’s a wonderful acknowledgement of the hard work I’ve put in to get back on court, and I’m incredibly grateful for the support, especially from my fans, team and family, throughout this journey."
Korneeva had been sidelined since February after tendon issues in her wrist that resulted in surgery in April.
But having emerged as one of the WTA’s next breakthrough stars after a stunning 2023 in which she also made impressive early forays into the professional game on the ITF World Tennis Tour, she soon picked up where she left off on her comeback.
A week after beating Martyna Kubka in her first competitive match in seven months at the WTA 250 event in Monastir in early September, Korneeva went all the way to the title at the highest level of ITF competition at W100 Caldas da Rainha in Portugal, defeating Anastasia Zakharova 6-1 6-4 in the final.
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The triumph was her second W100 crown, adding to her victory (also on a Portuguese hard court) at W100 Figueira Da Foz in July 2023, and her fourth professional singles title overall.
Korneeva’s speedy professional transition comes off the back of a list of fine achievements in the junior game in which she won the girls’ singles title at both the Australian Open, Roland Garros and the year-end ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals in 2023.
She was named the girls’ ITF World Champion at the end of the season as a result.
Korneeva is one of several players who made their mark on the ITF World Tennis Tour in September.
Australian Omar Jasika went on a 22-match winning streak that took in titles at M15 and M25 events in Bali, before securing back-to-back triumphs on home soil at M25 Darwin.
His compatriot Talia Gibson also scooped back-to-back titles in Australia, winning two singles crowns at W75 Perth, as well as her first doubles title of the season, and climbing to a career-high No. 129 in the world.
Argentina’s Solana Sierra also enjoyed two breakthrough title wins, scooping her first two W50 titles to climb into the world’s Top 150 for the first time – weeks after qualifying for her first Grand Slam at the US Open.