The U16 girls upset defending champs Team USA
[MONTREAL, QC] April 18, 2025 – Today, the qualifying events of the 2025 ITF World Junior Tennis competitions wrapped up at IGA Stadium in Montréal. Six nations were vying for a place in the Finals, which will be held in August in Czechia (U14) and November in Chile (U16). Canada fared extremely well, qualifying in all categories. The U16 girls shone especially bright: they went undefeated and posted a win against defending champions Team USA, which includes three top 20 players and the world no.3.
“Our young players rivalling—and even outshining—the best in the world reflects the quality of the development we’re putting in place at the national level,” said Noëlle Van Lottum, Head of Women’s Tennis at Tennis Canada. “The performances by the Billie Jean King Cup Juniors squad, particularly against the USA, clearly demonstrate that the future of Canadian women’s tennis is in good hands and our efforts are paying off.”
“I’m extremely proud of the way the girls handled adversity this week. They proved they not only have what it takes to compete at the international level but also the remarkable resilience to come out on top when it matters most,” said Sharon Fichman, captain of the Billie Jean King Cup Juniors team and former member of Canada’s BJK team. “That’s exactly the type of performance and spirit that builds a team, and I couldn’t have hoped for better unity this week.”
Day 1
Canada’s U14 girls and boys teams swept the Dominican Republic and Mexico, respectively. The U16 boys had a rough go against the USA, which is chock-full of young talents, and lost the two singles and doubles matches. The U16 girls squeaked by Puerto Rico with one loss and one win in singles. In the deciding doubles showdown, Canada fought its way back from a break down in the opening set before Charlize Celebrini** (BC) and Elicia Lin (AB) got into high gear and closed things out 7-5, 6-0.
Day 2
On the second day of competition, Canada’s BJK Cup Juniors squad faced a tall order against the USA and twins Annika and Kristina Penickova, ranked no.16 and no.3 in the ITF junior rankings. Laurence Demers got things rolling with an 6-4, 6-4 upset over Annika Penickova. Then, an inspired Charlize Celebrini followed up with a 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 victory over Kristina to give Canada an insurmountable 2-0 lead. In doubles, Lin and Demers fell 6-3, 6-4 to the Penickova sisters.
In the U16 boys competition, Canada posted its first win of the competition against Mexico. Antoine Généreux** (QC) got the day underway with a 6-3, 6-2 win, before Joshua Adamson (ON) earned his own 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 triumph. Caden Colburne** (NS) and Adamson completed the sweep in doubles (6-4, 6-3). The U14 Canadians had a trickier time against their American opponents, but Alden S.K. Yu* (BC) and Deniz Karabulut* (ON) saved Canada’s honour with their three-set win (2-6, 6-4, 10-8).
Day 3
Canada had a solid start on the final day. Lin set the tone for the U16 girls with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Mexico, before Celebrini capped off a perfect week with a 7-5, 6-1 victory. In the U16 and U14 events, Colburne and Karabulut served up double bagels to their respective opponents from Guatemala and the Dominican Republic. Adamson and Yu kept the momentum going, each winning in two sets (6-1, 6-4 and 6-3, 6-2) and qualify their teams. Finally, in the U14 girls’ race, Tessa Sari Puente* (13, ON) and Amy Shen* (ON) dropped only two and three games, respectively, to complete a clean sweep for Canada against Mexico.
In the end, the United States and Canada dominated the field and qualified in every category.
Click here to see the draws.
Click here to know more about the U16 finals in Chile in November and here to know more about the U14 finals in Czechia in August.
*Member of the U15 Canadian Prospect Team.
Member or former member of the National Tennis Centre presented by Rogers
About Tennis Canada
Founded in 1890, Tennis Canada is a non-profit, national sport association with a mission to lead the growth, development and promotion of tennis in Canada and a vision to be a world-leading tennis nation. We value teamwork, passion, integrity, innovation and excellence. Tennis Canada owns and operates the premier National Bank Open presented by Rogers WTA and ATP Tour events, it financially supports 15 other professional tournaments in Canada, as well as operating more than 60 events nationally across junior, wheelchair, university and Masters tennis categories. Tennis Canada is a proud member of the International Tennis Federation, the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Paralympic Committee, and serves to administer, sponsor and select the teams for Davis Cup, Billie Jean King Cup, the Olympic and Paralympic Games and all wheelchair, junior and masters tennis national teams. Tennis Canada invests its surplus into tennis development. For more information on Tennis Canada please visit our website at www.tenniscanada.com and follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram.
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