Continuing to fly through the draw 🚀 An emotional win for Noma Noha Akugue who claims her spot in the final 4 in Hamburg! #HamburgOpen
Sloane Stephens names Noma Noha Akugue as breakout star ahead of 2024
Tennis NewsMonday, 02 October 2023 at 03:30
Sloane Stephens has picked Noma Noha Akugue as the breakout star to watch for the 2024 season.
The former US Open champion, currently ranked 38th in the world, recently made her last appearance on the WTA Tour at the WTA 1000 Guadalajara Open, where she suffered a defeat at the hands of the young Colombian player, Emiliana Arango, who was ranked outside the top 150 at that time.
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Without any titles to her name, Stephens engaged in a series of Q&A sessions on her Instagram account. During one of these sessions, a fan asked her about a rising tennis player who could have a breakthrough season in 2024:
'Who Will be a break out star on the WTA tour in 2024?' asked a fan.
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Stephens then shared a picture of 19-year-old Noma Noha Akugue when she was a finalist at the WTA 250 Hamburg Open, earning her spot in the tournament as a wild card and being outside the top 200 in rankings. Unfortunately for the German player, she was defeated by the world No. 60 and 7th seed, Arantxa Rus.
Currently positioned at world No. 162, Akugue has achieved her career-high ranking of 142nd. Following her remarkable performance in Hamburg, she continued to impress by reaching the quarterfinals in two WTA 125 events, namely Kozerki and Bucharest.
Akugue embarked on her tennis journey at a very young age, initiated by her father Roland, who enrolled her in tennis classes during her preschool years. She has secured victory in three individual titles and two doubles titles on the ITF Junior Circuit, achieving her career-best ranking of 96 in 2021.
On Sloane Stephens' side, she is gearing up for her participation in the WTA 250 Hong Kong Open, which kicks off on October 9th. The American player is the 7th seed in a draw that features former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka (18th), Beatriz Haddad Maia (19th), and Anastasia Potapova as the top seeds.
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