From junior champions to US Open contenders: Alex Eala, Taylor Fritz and the 12 former winners returning to New York

Saturday, 29 August 2026 at 22:00

Eala reached her first WTA 1000 semi-final, defeating 3 Grand Slam champions

With the 2026 US Open about to begin, several players who previously lifted the junior title will return to Flushing Meadows for the senior main draw. Some won their trophies more than a decade ago, while the most recent champion on this list did so only seven years ago. They now arrive in New York at very different stages of their careers.

The most experienced name is Grigor Dimitrov, who became junior champion in 2008 and is set to make his 15th US Open main-draw appearance. At the other end of the spectrum is Rafael Jodar, who is just 19 and won his junior title only two years ago before making his US Open main-draw debut this year.

Some former junior champions have gone on to reach the US Open final, including Americans Amanda Anisimova and Taylor Fritz, while others have struggled to replicate their junior success on the senior tour. The women's draw also features notable names such as Alexandra Eala and Colombia's Camila Osorio, who could find herself on Arthur Ashe Stadium against world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

Here are the 12 former junior champions who will compete in the US Open main draw this year.

1. Grigor Dimitrov (2008)

The Bulgarian had to come through qualifying this year as he continues to rebuild his ranking. Dimitrov has struggled for consistency since suffering an injury against Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon in 2025, but his run to the fourth round at Wimbledon this year showed that he remains capable of competing at a high level. Ranked No. 137, the 35-year-old progressed through qualifying in New York without dropping a set.

Dimitrov won the junior title in 2008 and is now set for his 15th appearance in the US Open main draw. He reached the semifinals in 2019, losing to Daniil Medvedev, and the quarterfinals in 2024 before retiring against Frances Tiafoe. This year, he opens against Alexei Popyrin in an intriguing meeting between two former Masters 1000 champions.

2. Marie Bouzkova (2014)

Bouzkova has built her career on consistency, spending years around the upper reaches of the rankings and remaining a regular presence in Grand Slam main draws. The Czech won the junior title in 2014 and, although she has never broken into the Top 20, she has accumulated 29 Grand Slam main-draw appearances since 2018.

At 28, Bouzkova remains in a strong position and has continued to make progress at the biggest tournaments. She recently reached the fourth round at Wimbledon, although the US Open remains one of the few majors where she has not reached the second week. Her best result in New York came in 2023, when she reached the third round.

3. Taylor Fritz (2015)

Fritz is one of the former junior champions who has translated that early success into an established career at the top of the ATP Tour. The American reached his first Grand Slam final at the 2024 US Open, defeating Alexander Zverev and Frances Tiafoe on his way to the championship match before losing to Jannik Sinner in straight sets.

A fixture in the Top 10 for several seasons, Fritz has consistently gone deep at the Grand Slams and arrives in New York as one of the leading American contenders. He will also carry local expectations as the United States searches for its first men's singles US Open champion since Andy Roddick in 2003.

Taylor Fritz and Jannik Sinner shaking hands at the net.

Taylor Fritz is the only active American men’s player to have reached a Grand Slam singles final, finishing runner-up to Jannik Sinner at the 2024 US Open.

4. Felix Auger-Aliassime (2016)

Auger-Aliassime is another former junior champion who has established himself near the top of the ATP rankings. The Canadian won the 2016 title after defeating players including Alexei Popyrin, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas before beating Miomir Kecmanovic in the final.

He has enjoyed particular success at the US Open, reaching the semifinals in 2021 and 2025. This year, he arrives as the No. 3 seed with an opportunity to make another deep run. He opens against Australian Rinky Hijikata and will need another strong performance in New York with the points from his 2025 semifinal run to defend.

5. Amanda Anisimova (2017)

Anisimova became junior champion in 2017 after defeating a 13-year-old Coco Gauff in the final. She had beaten Olga Danilovic and Emiliana Arango during her run before overcoming Gauff to claim the junior Grand Slam title.

Years later, Anisimova returned to a US Open final, this time in the senior tournament. She defeated Iga Swiatek and Naomi Osaka on the way to the championship match before losing to Aryna Sabalenka. The result marked her second consecutive Grand Slam final defeat, but it also underlined how far the former junior champion has progressed since lifting the trophy in New York.

Anisimova with her runners up trophy with winner Sabalenka.

Amanda Anisimova was the latest American women to reach the US Open final, but her run finish after a lost against world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka

6. Yibing Wu (2017)

Wu made history in 2017 by becoming the first Chinese male player to win a junior Grand Slam singles title. He subsequently reached No. 1 in the ITF junior rankings, but injuries and inconsistency have prevented him from translating that potential into a sustained run near the top of the senior game.

His best US Open result came in 2022, when he reached the third round before losing to eventual champion Daniil Medvedev. After several injury-interrupted seasons, Wu returns to the main draw this year and will begin against Adam Walton.

7. Xiyu Wang (2018)

Wang continued China's strong presence in junior tennis by winning the 2018 US Open girls' singles title, defeating France's Clara Burel in the final. The triumph came a few months after she had also won the Wimbledon girls' doubles title.

Her best senior result in New York remains the third round, which she reached in 2022 before losing to Alison Riske in three sets. Wang faces a major challenge immediately this year, drawing No. 8 seed Iga Swiatek, who won the US Open in 2022.

8. Camila Osorio (2019)

Osorio enjoyed an outstanding junior career, winning the 2019 US Open girls' singles title and reaching No. 1 in the ITF junior rankings. She moved quickly onto the professional tour and was already close to the Top 30 by the age of 20.

The Colombian has since struggled to maintain that trajectory, alternating strong results with early exits and never quite establishing herself among the upper tier of the WTA rankings. Clay remains her strongest surface, while she has never advanced beyond the second round at the US Open. Her challenge this year is immediate: she opens against world No. 1 Sabalenka.

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9. Robin Montgomery (2021)

Montgomery became the 2021 US Open girls' singles champion, defeating Slovakia's Kristina Penickova in the final. The American left junior tennis as one of the notable prospects of her generation and has since worked her way into the professional ranks. Her return to Flushing Meadows this year gives her another opportunity to build on that junior breakthrough on home soil.

10. Martin Landaluce (2022)

Landaluce won the 2022 US Open boys' singles title, defeating Spain's Gilles Arnaud Bailly in the final. The Spaniard has since transitioned to the ATP Tour and is continuing to develop his game at just 20 years old. His junior triumph remains his biggest result in New York, but returning to the tournament as a professional offers Landaluce a chance to measure his progress against the senior field.

11. Alexandra Eala (2022)

Eala became the first Filipina to win a junior Grand Slam singles title when she captured the 2022 US Open crown. Four years later, she returns to the same courts as a fully established WTA player. The 20-year-old has broken into the Top 20 and reached the fourth round at Wimbledon this season, making her one of the most interesting former junior champions to watch in New York.

The US Open remains particularly significant for Eala, who reached the second round in her senior debut last year. She now returns with considerably bigger expectations and a career-high ranking, looking to turn her junior success at Flushing Meadows into a deeper run in the senior draw.

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12. Rafael Jodar (2024)

Jodar is the most recent junior champion on the list, having won the 2024 US Open boys' singles title just two years ago. The Spaniard defeated American Kaylan Bigun in the final and finished his junior career ranked No. 1 in the world.

Now 19, Jodar will make his US Open main-draw debut this year, giving him the chance to compete at the same venue where he became a Grand Slam junior champion. His presence also makes him the youngest player among the 12 former junior champions returning to Flushing Meadows in 2026.

Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist

Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.

His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.

In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.

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