The USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 16s & 18s National Championships, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary, will get underway at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 4 at the Barnes Tennis Center, 4490 W. Point Loma Blvd. Former singles champion Kayla Day, who is seeded No. 1, will headline the Girls’ 18s division. The 18-year old from Santa Barbara, Calif., won the Girls’ 18s title in 2016 and has competed in Women’s Tennis Association, International Tennis Federation and USTA Pro Circuit tournaments since then. Day has been ranked as high as No. 122 in the world and is currently No. 246 in the WTA singles rankings.
Seeded second in the Girls’ 18s division is 16-year old Whitney Osuigwe of Bradenton, Fla., who is currently the No. 2 ranked junior in the world. Osuigwe, a semifinalist at last year’s tournament in San Diego, has played mainly on the USTA Pro Circuit this year and is currently ranked No. 394 in the WTA singles rankings. She won the French Open girls’ singles title in 2017. Cori Gauff of Delray Beach, Fla., the No. 1 ranked junior in the ITF singles rankings, is seeded third in the Girls’ 18s draw. Earlier this year she captured the French Open girls’ singles title with a thrilling 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (1) victory over 16-year old Caty McNally of Cincinnati, who is seeded fifth. The 14-year old Gauff earned the world No. 1 junior ranking in mid-July, making her the youngest player to do so since the ITF combined its singles and doubles rankings in 2004. Sixteen-year-old Gianna Pielet of El Paso, Texas is the top-seed in the Girls’ 16s division. Last month, Pielet captured the doubles title at a $15,000 USTA Pro Circuit event in Evansville, Ind. and earlier this year in January, she won the USTA National Winter Championships at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla. “With the depth of our player field this year, this is going to be one of the toughest draws in the history of our tournament,” said Tournament Director Lornie Kuhle. “The level of competition is going to be very, very high and we’re looking forward to an exciting week with the best of the best junior players in the country competing for national championships in singles and doubles.” For the complete list of competitors, seeded players and draws for each division, please go to: https://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=208363#&&s=1 This past April, the USTA renamed the USTA Girls’ 16s & 18s National Championships to honor tennis icon Billie Jean King, a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. King is scheduled to attend the final two days of the tournament. The Tennis Channel broadcast schedule for the final two day of the tournament will be as follows: Saturday, Aug. 11
Girl’s 18s Singles Semifinals – 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. PDT (2 to 6 p.m. EDT)
Girl’s 16s Singles Final – 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. PDT (7:30 to 9:30 p.m. EDT) Sunday, Aug. 12
Girl’s 18s Singles Final – 1 to 3 p.m. PDT (4 to 6 p.m. EDT) All tournament matches played on Stadium Court at the Barnes Tennis Center will be streamed live on the tournament website from Saturday, August 5 through Friday, August 10. The link to live streaming will be available at www.ustagirlsnationals.com/ The Girls’ 16s event will begin on Saturday, Aug. 4 and conclude with the singles and doubles finals on Saturday Aug. 11. The Girls’ 18s tournament will get underway on Sunday, Aug. 5 and conclude with the 18s singles championship on Sunday, Aug. 12. Both divisions will feature 256-player singles draws with the top 32 players receiving a first-round bye. There will also be 128-team doubles draws with the top 16 teams getting first-round byes. Over 400 of the top junior tennis players in the country, aged 16 and 18 and under, will compete for the title of National Champion, as well as a wild card entry into the Women’s Singles main draw of the 2018 US Open (for the 18s Champion) and a wild card into the 2018 US Open Junior Championships (for the 16s Champion). The 18s Doubles Champions will also receive a wild card into the US Open Women’s Doubles main draw. The Opening Ceremony for the USTA Billie Jean King National Girls’ 16s & 18s National Championships is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 4 at the Barnes Tennis Center.
(All times PDT)
The updated starting times for each day of the tournament will be as follows:
Saturday, August 4 through Thursday, August 9 — 8 a.m.
Friday, August 10 through Sunday, August 12 — 9 a.m.
(Starting times subject to change)
Early-round tournament matches will also be played at San Diego State University’s Aztec Tennis Center, 5375 Remington Rd., San Diego, CA, 92115 from Saturday, Aug. 4 through Tuesday, Aug. 7, and the Balboa Tennis Club, 2221 Morley Field Drive, San Diego, CA 92104 from Saturday, Aug. 4 through Wednesday, Aug. 8. Admission and on-site parking at the Barnes Tennis Center is free each day of the tournament. For fans watching matches at SDSU and the Balboa Tennis Club, admission is free. There is a nominal charge for on-campus parking at SDSU. Parking regulations at the university will be strictly enforced. Parking is free at the Balboa Tennis Club.
