Line-up revealed: 2024 ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals
The line-up for the 2024 ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals – the junior equivalent of the ATP and WTA Finals – has been confirmed.
The ITF Junior Finals is a prestigious showpiece event which sees eight of the world’s best boys and eight of the world’s best girls do battle at the Sichuan International Tennis Center in Chengdu, China.
Ranking points accrued over the past twelve months on the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors by players aged 18-and-under have counted towards qualification for the Junior Finals, which will take place from 16-20 October.
Among a host of aspiring talent competing at this year's Finals will be Spain Rafael Jodar and Mika Stojsavljevic, who were last month crowned US Open boys' and girls' champion repsectively.
Australia's Emerson Jones – the No.1-ranked girl on the planet – three-time Junior Grand Slam doubles champion Tyra Caterina Grant and four players who have reached junior Grand Slam singles finals this year will also be on show.
Indeed, it will be the first time that siblings have featured at the same edition of the ITF Juniors Finals with Emerson's brother Hayden set to compete in the boys' draw.
The following players will compete at the 2024 ITF Juniors Finals:
*Antonia Vergara Rivera has replaced Teodora Kostovic, who has withdrawn from the 2024 ITF World Junior Finals
** Kim Jangjun has replaced Theo Papamalamis
Once in Chengdu, the eight boys and eight girls will be split into two respective groups of four, with the top two in each group advancing to the semi-finals following three days of round-robin matches.
The winner of each event will earn 850 ranking points, which could make a significant difference in the race to finish 2024 as the year-end No. 1 boy and girl. It is important to note 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.
Players will also benefit from travel grants to support their future progression to professional tennis. The 2024 winners will receive up to $19,000 USD, with grants staggered through to those in eighth position who will receive a minimum of $6,000 USD.
The ITF Junior Finals really is an esteemed event and far more than a tennis tournament. Players are immersed in Chinese culture and participate in activities away from the court, with the event showcasing to players what life as a pro is like.
Past participants have always spoken about the ITF Junior Finals in the highest possible terms. Meanwhile, since the first edition in 2015, the Finals have featured four future Grand Slam champions, nine future Top 10s, soon-to-be Olympic gold medallists and a host of fantastic players.
The back catalogue of players to have competed at the ITF Junior Finals is highly impressive and reflects the significance to the tournament in respect of an individual’s development and its role within the ITF player pathway.
Grand Slam champions Marketa Vondrousova, Elena Rybakina, Sofia Kenin and Jelena Ostapenko have all competed at the Finals, as have the likes of Casper Ruud, Holger Rune, Andrey Rublev, Qinwen Zheng, Taylor Fritz, Leylah Fernandez, Lorenzo Musetti, Marta Kostyuk and Camila Osorio.