Jones and Rottgering triumph at ITF Junior Finals in Chengdu
Australia’s Emerson Jones and Mees Rottgering of Netherlands were the toast of Chengdu after lifting silverware at the 2024 ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals.
The ITF Junior Finals – the junior equivalent of the ATP and WTA Finals – is one of the most prestigious tournaments on the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors calendar.
Jones and Rottgering have written their names into the event’s illustrious history and, by doing so, have become the first players from their nations to top the ITF Junior Finals podium.
Queenslander Jones arrived in Chengdu as the world’s top-ranked girl and her victory has boosted her chances of ending the 2024 season as the year-end No. 1.
It was her third singles title of the season following success at J300 Traralgon and J500 Milan, while she also finished runner-up in the girls’ event at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
Victory was sealed after downing Czechia’s Laura Samson in the final, while her flawless week also saw the 16-year-old overcome Japan’s Wakana Sonobe, Belgium’s Jeline Vandromme, Chilean Antonia Vergara Rivera and Great Britain's Mika Stojsavljevic.
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“It’s a shock to me to win here,” said Jones, who prevailed 6-4 6-4 in the final. “I’m proud of myself and the way I handled everything this week during the close matches. I am really happy with myself.
“I just tried to stay aggressive this week and I knew what I needed to do in terms of playing my own game. Mentally, I tried to be better because the first match I wasn’t great mentally so I tried to pick it up from there.
“I am proud of winning the final, tough to have lost some finals this year, but always great to get over the line.”
Remarkably, this was Rottgering’s first singles title of the season after reaching two finals, most notably at the Junior Championships, Wimbledon in July, and three semis, including January's Australian Open.
The 17-year-old defeated recently-crowned US Open boys’ champion Rafael Jodar of Spain in the final, the same player who had beaten him in the opening match of the group-stage.
Victories over Czechia’s Jan Kumstat, Hayden Jones of Australia and Romania's Luca Preda gave Rottgering the chance of revenge, an opportunity which he took, winning 6-4 7-6(2).
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“It feels amazing,” said Rottgering. “The names I have heard that have played here and won makes me excited and it means a lot to me.
“Mentally, it was a tough match in the final. I faced some tough games in the first set, but I managed the match really well. This was my last junior tournament and I am happy to finish my junior career with a win.”
Jones and Rottgering have earned 850 ranking points following their triumphs and it is worth noting that a higher ITF Junior year-end ranking will enable players to access higher-level professional tournament opportunities through the ITF Junior Accelerator Programme in 2025.
All 16 players on show in Chengdu will also benefit from travel grants to support their future progression to professional tennis. The 2024 winners received up to $19,000 USD, with grants staggered through to $6,000 USD.
The ITF Junior Finals, however, are far more than a tennis tournament. Players were immersed in Chinese culture and participated in activities away from the court, with the event showcasing to players what life as a pro is like.
This has been the case since the inaugural ITF Juniors Finals in 2015 and the back catalogue of players to have competed in Chengdu reflects the role of the tournament within the ITF player pathway.
Grand Slam champions Marketa Vondrousova, Elena Rybakina, Sofia Kenin and Jelena Ostapenko have all competed at the ITF Junior Finals, as have Casper Ruud, Holger Rune, Andrey Rublev, Qinwen Zheng, Taylor Fritz, Leylah Fernandez, Lorenzo Musetti, Marta Kostyuk and Camila Osorio.
The class of 2024 are keeping very good company.