Korneeva: I like the attention from back-to-back Grand Slam titles
Alina Korneeva says she enjoys living fast and, after taking just 55 minutes to dispatch Morocco’s Aya El Aouni on her grass-court debut at Wimbledon’s Junior Championships, she is not kidding.
Having topped the girls’ singles podium at both the Australian Open and Roland Garros, Korneeva is contesting the Junior Championships with the hand of history firmly on her shoulder.
Should the 16-year-old triumph on the grass-courts of SW19, she will become the first girl since Bulgaria’s Magdalena Maleeva in 1990 to win three Junior Grand Slam singles titles in the same season.
No girl, however, has ever won the opening three Junior Grand Slams of a campaign, although the feat has been achieved previously by Stefan Edberg in 1983 and Gael Monfils in 2004.
A place in the record books beckons for Moscow-born Korneeva, who unsurprisingly is the top seed within the Wimbledon girls’ draw, and she insists the recognition from two Junior Grand Slam title-wins is something to relish.
“I like the focus and attention that comes with winning two previous Junior Grand Slams, of course I do, but I try not to think about that too much,” Korneeva tells itftennis.com.
“I remember saying after I won Roland Garros that it felt so different from the first Junior Grand Slam title at the Australian Open because winning there was more of a surprise. In Paris, I wanted to win that Grand Slam.
“In Melbourne, I just wanted to enjoy the atmosphere of the Australian Open, whereas at Roland Garros it felt more like winning a normal tournament. Now, I try not to think too much about what I won because it can become difficult if you do.”
Losing just one of the 18 junior matches she has played this season and sealing her maiden professional title on the ITF World Tennis Tour at W60 Pretoria in March, it is fair to say that Korneeva has pedigree.
The only potential curveball heading into Wimbledon was her lack of experience on grass, having never previously competed on the surface. Having chalked up a 6-0 6-2 triumph, the green stuff looked to hold few demons for this prodigious talented teenager, although first impressions can be deceptive.
“This is my first tournament on grass and my first match on grass – and indeed my first day at Wimbledon,” said Korneeva, who yesterday spent time on Centre Court watching home favourite Andy Murray and Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece.
“I maybe looked comfortable but that wasn’t how I felt in myself. I was so nervous before my match but after the first game I played better and better. It is a really interesting experience to play here.”
Korneeva's next challenge will be a showdown with the winner of the first-round clash between Bulgaria's Iva Ivanova and Czech qualifier Vendula Valdmannova.
A full list of results from the 2023 Junior Championships, Wimbledon is available here.