If 2018 was then-teenager Anna Blinkova’s breakthrough year in terms of cracking the Top 100, this season has been noteworthy for her career-defining showing at Roland Garros.

As a qualifier, Blinkova dispatched world No. 24 Caroline Garcia on the clay of Paris, rallying from a double break down in the deciding set to reach the third round of a major tournament for the first time.

That was as far as she went, however, as Madison Keys, who was seeded No. 14 in the French capital, proved a step too far, although the American required three sets to dispose of Moscow-born Blinkova.

For some, witnessing her heroics against Garcia was their first glimpse of the young pretender, but for followers of junior tennis such instances have been some time in the making.

Blinkova reached the Wimbledon girls’ final in 2015, while her crowning glory in the junior division came with her triumph at the ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals – then then ITF Junior Masters – in Chengdu the following year.

For Blinkova, such experiences have helped shape her progression through the ranks and fuelled her ability to produce memorable moments, such as beating Garcia under the intense glare of Court Philippe Chatrier.

“Playing Juniors gave me a lot of match experience and I learned so many lessons from winning, losing and having to fight,” Blinkova, who made her Fed Cup by BNP Paribas debut for Russia in February 2017, told itftennis.com. “I look back on the whole experience very fondly.

“I have played in the main draw of all four Grand Slams and when I compete at these big tournaments I know that I have been there before in Juniors. It helps knowing that I have contested significant matches and been in important situations and moments before.

“It allows me to go out there and have the confidence to play my game and not be daunted by coming up against someone like Caroline Garcia at Roland Garros – a player with greater experience.”

It was three years ago that Blinkova triumphed in Chengdu, defeating Great Britain’s Katie Swann 6-4 6-7(1) 7-6(4) in the final before declaring “this is the best day of my life” as she was presented with her trophy by two-time Grand Slam champion Li Na.

Her involvement at the Sichuan International Tennis Centre was prior to the revamp of the tournament, part of which means the eight boys and eight girls now compete in a round robin format before progressing to the knockout phase.

The winning prize of travel grants totalling $15,000 contributed to a momentous event for Blinkova, although one which was not without its trials and tribulations, particularly with respect to her relationship with the venue’s Centre Court.

“I played all three matches on the Centre Court and I remember I found it so tough to play on and adjust to. When I first came to practice, I swear that my hitting partner and I couldn’t hit more than one shot,” said Blinkova.

“It was so weird. Even in the third one – the final – I felt that I hadn’t yet adjusted. I felt that my game and my shots were not very good.

“But I got through and won a third set tiebreak. I served 18 double faults and I beat the girl that I had never beaten before.

“Winning in Chengdu gave me confidence and I learned so many things. My tennis level increased by winning this tournament. I learned many things about what I can do on the court and I am still using those things to this day.”

As many competitors have observed over the past four years since the inaugural edition in 2015, the ITF Junior Finals promote far more than just tennis and give attendees a real flavour of life as a professional player.

“I remember it was a very special event,” added Blinkova.

“It was my first trip to China and I liked it very much – I really liked it. We stayed in a very good hotel and went to the panda sanctuary. It was very professional and completely different to anything a lot of us had experienced previously.

“There were a lot of spectators and after victory in the final we had a lot of photos and interviews. I posed for so many pictures that I felt pain in my mouth because I was smiling so much. It was a very good event for me.”

During the build-up to this year's ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals, which take place between 23-27 October, an interview with each player competing in Chengdu will appear on www.itftennis.com and the ITF's social media channels. There will also be articles featuring former winners of and participants at the event.