It was a day for dreams to come true as two young rising tennis stars captured singles titles on the final day of the United States Tennis Association Billie Jean King Girls’ 16s and 18s National Championships at Barnes Tennis Center.
San Diego’s Alyssa Ahn (above), who trains at Barnes Tennis Center in Point Loma year-round, defeated unseeded Christasha McNeil of Lindenhurst, N.Y., 6-2, 6-3 in one-hour and 23 minutes to win the Girls’ 16s singles title. Ahn became the first San Diegan to win the 16s singles championship since 2016 when Nicole Mossmer of La Jolla accomplished the feat.
“It means a lot because I know how prestigious this tournament is. Actually, when I was 10, I watched the 16s and 18s. I was in the crowd, and now it’s cool to be one of the players. It’s a good experience,” Ahn said after she was presented her USTA Gold Ball by Tennis Hall of Famer Billie Jean King.
Following her championship victory, Ahn spoke about her home-court advantage. “I’m more comfortable on the courts than my opponents,” she said. “To have a lot of people cheering for me from San Diego helped a lot, too.”
In addition to earning a USTA Gold Ball, Ahn was awarded a Wild Card into the US Open Junior Main Draw for the 2022 US Open in Flushing, N.Y.
Fourth-seeded Eleana Yu of Mason, Ohio scored a thrilling 6-3, 7-5 victory over 17th seeded Valerie Glozman of Bellevue, Wash., in the Girls’ 18s singles final.
Yu established the pace of the match early in the first set with two service breaks and built a commanding 5-1 lead. Glozman came back to win the next two games to cut the gap to 5-3, but Yu confidently served out the first set at love.
Glozman picked up the level of her game in the second set and jumped out to a 4-2 lead, but Yu staged a strong comeback and won five of the next six games to win the championship match, which took two hours and one minute.
“I was just making sure that I kept fighting. I knew each point would matter a lot. I felt I was really mentally into the match,” Yu said after receiving her USTA Gold Ball for winning the national title.
As the reigning Girls’ 18s singles champion, Yu will receive a Wild Card into the 2022 US Open Main Draw. “It’s a dream come true. I’ve always dreamed of playing a Slam and now I’ll actually be able to play. I’m excited about the opportunity,” she said.
To view final tournament draws for each division, click here.
USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 16s & 18s National Championships at Barnes Tennis Center
Sunday’s Results
Girls’ 18s Singles
Championship
Eleana Yu (4), Mason, Ohio, def. Valerie Glozman (17), Bellevue, Wash., 6-3, 7-5
Girls’ 16s Singles
Championship
Alyssa Ahn (9), San Diego, def. Christasha McNeil, Lindenhurst, N.Y., 6-2, 6-3
Girls’ 18s Doubles
Championship
Reese Brantmeier (1), Whitewater, Wis., and Clervie Ngounoue, Washington, def. Natalie Block (4), Plantation, Fla., and Charney Piper, Mount Pleasant, S.C., 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
The following wild cards to the 2022 US Open were awarded to the tournament’s top finishers:
18s Champion – US Open Main Draw and US Open Junior Main Draw
18s Finalist – US Open Qualifying and US Open Junior Main Draw
18s 3rd Place – US Open Junior Main Draw
16s Champion – US Open Junior Main Draw
18s 4th & 5th Place – US Open Junior Qualifying
