The penultimate J500 event of the season gets underway in Merida, Mexico on Monday as players make their final rankings push and bid to finish the campaign as the year-end junior world No. 1.

There remains much to play for in the battle for top spot in the both the boys’ and girls’ standings and the ranking points on offer in Merida could prove key in the final shake-up.

As a reminder, J500s provide premier playing opportunities for players on the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors and, in effect, are one rung below Junior Grand Slams.

The final J500 of the 2023 season will be J500 Plantation in Florida, otherwise known as the Orange Bowl, which will take place from 4-10 December.

This will provide the final chance for ambitious juniors to make their move and secure the highest possible year-end ranking, while top spot will also guarantee the title of 2023 ITF World Champion.

In terms of Merida, junior world No. 2 Rodrigo Pacheco will be the top-ranked boy on show, and it will be a special occasion for the 18-year-old as he plays in the city of his birth.

Bulgaria’s Iliyan Radulov will also bid for silverware in Mexico, while the likes of Nicolai Budkov Kjaer of Norway and American duo Alexander Razeghi and Kaylan Bigun are also primed for action.

In the girls’ draw, Czechia’s Laura Samsonova, who competed at the 2023 ITF Junior Finals in Chengdu and the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup Juniors by Gainbridge Finals in recent weeks, is the highest-ranked player on show.

The 15-year-old has enjoyed a hugely productive season and currently occupies the No. 6 slot in the junior world rankings, with further scope to enhance her burgeoning reputation.

Kaitlin Quevedo of the United States, Czechia’s Alena Kovackova, Hannah Klugman of Great Britain, Japan’s Wakana Sonobe and Benin’s Gloriana Nahum are just some of the names with an eye also on silverware next week.

Click here for further information, draws and results from J500 Merida.