2025 ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals: meet the girls
The countdown to the 2025 ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals – the junior equivalent of the ATP and WTA Finals – is on.
The ITF Junior Finals are a prestigious showpiece event which see eight of the world’s best boys and 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 have counted towards qualification for the Finals, which will take place from 22-26 October.
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 action.
For the first time, the winner of each event will earn 1000 ranking points - equivalent to what is on offer at a Junior Grand Slam - which could make a significant difference in a player’s quest to finish 2025 as the year-end No. 1.
Players will also benefit from travel grants to support their future progression to professional tennis. A record $220,000 USD will be paid out this year, with the 2025 winners receiving up to $23,000, with the grants then staggered through to those finishing in eighth place.
The ITF Junior Finals are 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 what life as a pro is like.
The ITF Junior Finals are both a celebration of junior excellence and a proven step towards the elite professional game.
Meet the girls who will be competing in Chengdu:
Klugman has enjoyed another progressive campaign which has seen her reach her first ITF World Tennis Tour Women’s final – at W35 Roehampton in August. The 16-year-old also made the semi-finals at W35 Terrassa and W35 Aldershot to underline her undoubted potential. At the Junior Grand Slams, Klugman advanced to the girls’ final at Roland Garros before losing to Austria’s Lilli Tagger, while she also reached the semi-finals at the US Open and quarters at Wimbledon. At the Australian Open, meanwhile, Klugman teamed up with home favourite Emerson Jones to make the girls’ doubles final, only for the Penickova sisters – Kristina and Annika – to prevail. Klugman did, however, win the singles title at J300 Vrsar.
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The 2025 edition will be Vandromme’s second appearance at the ITF Junior Finals having featured in Chengdu in 2024 where she finished third in the girls’ competition. Vandromme has soared this season, winning four events on the ITF World Tennis Tour Women’s, including a career-best title at W35 Roehampton alongside triumphs at W15 Manacor and at two editions of W15 Monastir. In addition, the 17-year-old conquered all before her at September’s US Open Junior Championships after suffering first-round losses at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Vandromme also reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open after winning J300 Traralgon, while she enjoyed a successful Billie Jean King Cup debut in April during Belgium’s victory over France.
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The standout moment of Pohankova’s season came at the Junior Championships, Wimbledon as she dazzled her way to the girls’ singles title, defeating Julieta Pareja of the United States in the final. This ensured back-to-back titles for Slovak girls at Wimbledon following Renata Jamrichova’s 2024 success. Pohankova also reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open Junior Championships and the quarter-finals at the US Open Junior Championships, while she bowed out in the third round at the Roland Garros Junior Championships. The 16-year-old already had a pro title to her name as she entered 2025, having triumphed at W75 Bratislava in October 2024, and this year she reached the semis of that tournament and the quarters at W75 Trnava and W50 Nantes.
Kristina Penickova has won two Junior Grand Slam girls’ doubles titles in 2025, teaming up with twin sister Annika to triumph at the Australian Open in January and then uniting with Vendula Valdmannova of Czechia to conquer Wimbledon. Penickova has won two singles titles on the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors this season – at J300 San Diego in March and then J200 Chuncheon earlier this month. Her campaign has also included a run to the semi-finals at J500 Osaka in September, while the 16-year-old advanced to her maiden ITF World Tennis Tour Women’s final at W15 Monastir in May. Victory there would have been the teenager’s first pro title of her career.
Stusek enjoyed the biggest title-win of her fledgling career in April when she conquered all before her at J500 Offenbach, sealing her first title at any level since September 2023. The 17-year-old, who represented Germany at both the ITF World Junior Tennis Finals in 2022 and Billie Jean King Cup Junior Finals in 2024, was in blistering form and claimed the title without dropping a set. At the Junior Grand Slams, Stusek reached the quarter-finals at both Roland Garros and the US Open, although she did also pick up silverware at J200 Rutesheim in August. On the ITF World Tennis Tour Women’s, Stusek lost in the semi-finals at W35 Santa Margherita di Pula, W15 Monastir and W15 Bucharest.
Kovackova was the most successful girl on the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors in 2024, winning a combined 17 titles (eight singles and nine doubles). In February, she became the first player – man or woman – born in 2010 to reach a professional tennis singles final. More was to come and the 15-year-old has since claimed two ITF World Tennis Tour Women’s titles – at W35 Antalya after coming through qualifying and W15 Monastir. At the Junior Grand Slams, Jana teamed up with sister Alena to take the US Open girls’ doubles title in September, while her best result of 2025 in junior tennis came at J300 Roehampton where she reached the semi-finals.
Esquiva Banuls’s season has been underpinned by title wins at J300 Villena and J300 Beaulieu-sur-Mer, while the 17-year-old also reached the final at J300 Oberpullendorf in September and endured other near misses throughout the season. At the Junior Grand Slams, the teenager’s best performance came at the US Open where she reached the quarter-finals, while she advanced to the third round at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Esquiva Banuls also contested five events on the ITF World Tennis Tour, reaching the quarter-finals at W15 Logrono in August.
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Zhang has chalked up two titles during the 2025 season – at J300 Casablanca, which equalled her career-best triumph, and at J200 Haskovo, while a run to the semi-finals at J500 Offenbach represented a significant step in her development. The 17-year-old advanced to the third round at the Roland Garros Junior Championships – her best Junior Grand Slam result to date – while she also reached the second round at Wimbledon. Zhang has also gained valuable exposure on the ITF World Tennis Tour Women’s, reaching the second round at six events.