Behold, we have found a rare species of tennis player here at the US Open Junior Championships. More unusual than a water fountain in a desert. As odd as a teenager with a clean bedroom.

Hannah Klugman, young star and possibly part of the future of British tennis, likes playing in the wind. For real. She actually enjoys it.

“I’m a player who loves playing in the wind,” the 16-year-old said with a smile after beating Germany’s Julia Stusek 6-3 6-2 to reach her first US Open semi-final.

“You can slice, change pace and your opponent usually struggles with it and doesn’t like it as much.”

Whatever the weather conditions have been, Klugman has got better and better as the girls' event here in New York has rolled on.

A finalist at Roland Garros in the spring, Klugman won a couple of tough three-setters leading into Thursday’s match with Stusek. She outlasted Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi 6-3 in the third and then held off Julia Pastikova 6-4 in the third in round three.

“Getting through those two tough matches while not playing great has given me the freedom to just go for it now and I’m starting to feel way better,” Klugman said.

Klugman thinks her slow start was due to a lack of adaptability with the court speed.

“I was quite slow in realising and adjusting to how fast the courts are here,” Klugman said. “I was late on everything.”

It has been a long journey for Klugman; when she first contested the US Open as a 14-year-old, she was besieged with interview requests from the British media as she reached the quarter-finals.

The spotlight on her has grown since then, though things seem a little calmer in New York this time around.

“I came through so young, sometimes I forget how young I was when I did well here - I was only 14,” said Klugman.

“You just learn to deal with the attention and the opponents take you more seriously once you’ve had some success.

"When I first started they didn’t know me and now I’m the seeded player and they’re the ones with nothing to lose when they play me.”  

In making her first US Open semi-final, Klugman announced that it will also be her farewell to junior tennis. 

“I think this is going to be my last Junior Grand Slam,” Klugman confirmed. “I feel like, having played some of the women’s tournaments, I’m kind of ready to move on.

"I know women’s is quite a big step compared to juniors, but I feel like if you stick around in juniors for a bit too long, you can hit your level and win at your level even when you’re not playing amazing. At pro level, you’ve got to bring it every day and that is what I need to do.”

Meeting Klugman in the semis will be Belgian No. 14 seed Jeline Vandromme, who continued her destruction of the girls' draw with a thorough 6-1 6-3 win over France's Ksenia Efremova. Vandromme has now reached her first Junior Slam semi.

“I’m playing with confidence and I was extra motivated to finally make it past this quarter-final round,” Vandromme said. “I’m playing the way I want to and playing well.”

Vandromme, who has been helped by Belgian tennis legend Kim Clijsters, said it’s been “so great” to have a star from her country helping out.

The other girls' semi-final will be between defending champion Mika Stojsavljevic, who defeated No. 4 seed and Wimbledon champion Mia Pohankova 6-4 6-2, and Swedish qualifier Lea Nilsson, who continued her dream run by defeating No. 8 seed Charo Esquiva Banuls 6-4 6-1.

A full list of results from the 2025 US Open Junior Championships is available here