Sixteen-year-old Linda Fruhvirtova (along with 14-year-old sister Brenda) has been gathering attention for some time for her potential to be tennis’ next teenage star after a steady stream of age-defying results on the ITF World Tennis Tour.

This week in Miami, though, the tennis world at large is taking note.

Fruhvirtova produced a true breakthrough performance at the Miami Open, where she saw off both world No. 24 Elise Mertens and former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka before world No. 6 Paula Badosa ended her standout run on Monday evening.

As the latest exciting athlete to emerge on the seemingly never-ending conveyor belt of tennis talent from Czech Republic, here’s a look at the milestone moments from the elder Fruhvirtova’s fledging career so far – an evolving pattern of success that suggests there’s plenty more to come.

February 2019
Won the junior title at Les Petits As, a prestigious junior competition in Tarbes, France. Her younger sister, Brenda, would win the same title a year later.

August 2019
Combined with Brenda to lead Czech Republic to their fourth title at the ITF World Junior Tennis Finals in Prostejov – the international team competition for players aged 14 and under. She was also part of the team that finished runner-up a year earlier.

August 2020
Made her WTA debut as a wildcard in Prague, falling to Kristyna Pliskova 6-2 7-5 in the first round.

December 2020
Reached her first ITF singles final at W15 Monastir (falling to Yuliya Hatouka), and her second a month later at W25 Hamburg, running in to Zheng Qinwen.

February 2021
Aged 15, won her first professional singles title at an ITF W15 tournament in Monastir, defeating Frenchwoman Manon Arcangioli in the final. A week later, she won her second ITF title at the same venue – defeating Algerian Ines Ibbou. During the two weeks in Tunisia she won nine matches, didn’t drop a set, and achieved four bagels. Oh, and she won the doubles titles at both events too, triumphing alongside Maria Timofeeva and Weronika Falkowska.

March 2021
Made her WTA Premier Mandatory debut as a wild card in Miami, falling to Nina Stojanovic in the first round.

April 2021
Recorded her first Tour-level match-win at the WTA International event in Charleston, overcoming Frenchwoman Alize Cornet before defeating Emma Navarro to reach the quarter-finals (l. Astra Sharma).

December 2021
Reached a career-high junior ranking of No. 2 in the world after winning 19 of her last 22 matches of the year on the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors. Claimed four junior titles in total during a junior year highlighted by her run to the girls’ singles semi-finals at Wimbledon.

February 2022
Climbed to a new career-high ranking of No. 276 after winning her maiden ITF W25-level title in Cancun, where she defeated former world No. 38 Rebecca Marino in the final.

March 2022
Defeated world No. 24 Elise Mertens and No. 16 Victoria Azarenka to become the youngest player to reach the fourth round in Miami since Maria Sharapova and Tatiana Golovin each did so as 16-year-olds in 2004. Ultimately fell to world No. 6 Paula Badosa 6-2 6-3.