Naef, 17, closes in on world's top 250 after biggest win yet in Porto

Seventeen-year-old Swiss Celine Naef won the biggest title of her fledgling professional career on the ITF World Tennis Tour at W40 Porto on Sunday.

The former junior world No. 4 entered the Portuguese tournament via a junior exempt position, which gives a top 20 junior from the previous year direct entry into the main draw, and she made the most of her opportunity.

Naef defeated Italian Lucrezia Stefanini 6-2 6-4 in the title match to secure her second ITF singles title of 2023 and fifth overall – adding to her victories at W25 Loughborough at the turn of the season, and W15 Monastir, W15 Reims and W25+H Cherbourg En Contentin in 2022.

Naef climbed 59 spots to a career-high No. 264 in the WTA rankings on Monday, becoming the Swiss women’s No. 8 in the process.

The youngster’s promising start to life on the ITF World Tennis Tour follows a fine ITF junior career in which she compiled an 109-30 win-loss record, won JA Milan, and reached the quarter-finals of the girls’ singles at the 2022 US Open.

It was also a good week for Peyton Stearns, also a former Top 50 junior, who won her most significant title yet at W60 Rome.

The 21-year-old American defeated Czech Gabriela Andrea Knutson 3-6 6-0 6-2 for her 10th successive match-win and second title of 2023, having won at W25 Orlando the week previously.

Stearns leapt 51 places as a result to a career-high No. 137 in the WTA rankings.

Click here for all the weekend’s results on the ITF World Tennis Tour