Efremova and Pleshivtsev seal career milestones at Osaka Mayor's Cup
France’s Ksenia Efremova sealed the biggest junior title of her career with victory at J500 Osaka – a victory which propels the 16-year-old to a career-high No. 8 in the ITF World Tennis Tour girls’ rankings.
Egor Pleshivtsev was also victorious in Japan, conquering all before him in the boys’ draw to seal the most prestigious trophy of his fledgling career and surge to No. 13 in the boys’ rankings – also a career high.
Efremova was in blistering form during J500 Osaka, which is also known as the Osaka Mayor’s Cup, and lifted silverware without dropping a set and only losing 17 games. She defeated Anna Pushkareva 6-1 6-2 in the final.
This was the teenager’s third junior title-win of the season having also triumphed at J300 Charleroi-Marcinelle and J300 Repentigny, while earlier this month she equalled her best Junior Grand Slam showing.
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She reached the quarter-finals at the US Open Junior Championships where she lost to eventual champion Jeline Vandromme, although this was her best run since reaching the last eight at the 2024 Australian Open.
Efremova has significant potential, and this is reflected by her having three ITF World Tennis Tour Women’s titles to her name after triumphing at three editions of W15 Monastir, most recently in November 2024.
By winning the first of those in late December 2023 when she was just 14, Efremova became the youngest female winner of an ITF World Tennis Tour title in 20 years – since 2003.
Pleshivtsev, meanwhile, also impressed as he sealed victory in Osaka, dropping just the one set – he came from a set down in the semi-finals against Thailand’s Kunanan Pantaratorn – all week. He defeated Japan’s Kanta Watanabe 6-2 6-2 in the final.
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This was the 18-year-old’s second junior title of the campaign having won J200 Nonthaburi in March, although he has also reached the final at two other tournaments – J300 Traralgon and J300 Astana.
For both Efremova and Pleshivtsev, this was an important week in their careers with a J500 title a sizeable milestone as they continue to progress along the player pathway.
J500 Osaka is the fifth of seven J500 events on the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors in 2025. J500 tournaments provide premier playing opportunities for players and offer significant ranking points to those crowned champions.
J500s are effectively one rung below Junior Grand Slams and the next J500 will take place in Merida, Mexico in November. It is also worth noting that ranking points won in Osaka will contribute towards qualification for the 2026 ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals in Chengdu.