The Wimbledon Debutants Ready For Pro Careers

Two British sixteen-year-old girls who made their main tie debut astatine Wimbledon this summertime opportunity it is clip to measurement into nan elder ranks.

Hannah Klugman has conscionable risen to a career-high inferior ranking of two, having reached nan French Open final, nan semi-finals of nan US Open and nan quarter-finals of Wimbledon.

Mika Stojsavljevic is already a inferior Grand Slam champion, while she fell astatine nan semi-final hurdle successful New York past week successful defence of her US Open title.

Both made their master debut astatine nan property of 14 and now consciousness fresh to commencement climbing nan ladder to nan WTA Tour.

"I deliberation I'm done pinch juniors now, I'm benignant of fresh to measurement into nan seniors," Klugman told BBC Sport successful New York.

"I came done astatine specified a young property truthful I've had a batch of exposure. I've done 3 afloat years doing this truthful it's clip to move on."

Klugman is not ruling retired playing a last inferior Grand Slam astatine Roland Garros adjacent June but feels location is now a limit to what she tin study astatine this level.

"These matches - I don't person to play good to triumph them. I tin play a 5 retired of 10 and get nan win, and I cognize successful seniors I decidedly can't do that," she said.

"Juniors is conscionable a stepping stone. I'd emotion to triumph a inferior Slam - I'd beryllium lying if I said I didn't want to - but each clip my squad reminds maine it doesn't mean anything."

Stojsavljevic has already won a $35,000 (£25,860) tourney connected nan ITF World Tennis Tour. Winning nan title successful Nottingham successful April 2024 earned her $3,935 (£2,903) and 35 world ranking points.

She besides made waves connected her WTA main tie debut past October, erstwhile she took Moyuka Uchijima, past classed 57th, to a third-set tie-break successful nan Pan Pacific Open successful Tokyo.

"I consciousness my crippled is fresh to play pro tennis," Stojsavljevic said.

"I took a top-60 subordinate to a reliable 3 sets successful nan first WTA main tie I played and I've won an ITF title. So I cognize erstwhile I'm playing good I tin compete pinch players astatine nan apical level and that's what I'm looking to build connected and moving towards from now on."

Stojsavljevic, a postgraduate of nan LTA's Loughborough Academy, is now being coached by Jeremy Bates, who has worked pinch a big of British players including Katie Boulter. She is readying to proceed her acquisition arsenic she travels, pinch A-levels lined up successful English lit and politics

Klugman has been coached by Ben Haran since nan property of 9 and besides does a number of weeks pinch fittingness trainer Jez Green and physio Will Herbert, who walk overmuch of nan remainder of their clip pinch men's world number 3 Alexander Zverev.

A February day intends Klugman could play inferior tournaments for different 2 years.

Annabel Croft, who won inferior Wimbledon astatine nan property of 17, has immoderate reservations astir players moving connected excessively quickly.

"When I was playing juniors, I was precisely for illustration Hannah," Croft said.

"The twelvemonth that I won nan juniors [Australian Open and Wimbledon titles] I was playing successful nan seniors astatine nan aforesaid time. I was playing my idol Chris Evert retired connected Court One astatine Wimbledon successful nan 3rd information and I wasn't focused connected nan juniors whatsoever.

"I was measurement much excited astir nan prospects of playing elder Wimbledon and going up against nan champion successful nan world.

"But successful hindsight, it's 1 of my proudest moments and I realise I americium going to beryllium successful that trophy furniture forevermore.

"I deliberation that nary matter what happens she [Klugman] has sewage plentifulness of clip to beryllium putting herself up against nan seniors but nan 1 point you tin opportunity astir juniors is that you will ne'er ever get that clip again.

"So I wholly get it but I conscionable dream she doesn't regret it."

The WTA's property eligibility rules limit 16-year-olds to 12 master tournaments each year, though anyone who finishes nan twelvemonth successful nan apical 5 of nan inferior rankings tin play an other four.

And truthful adjacent twelvemonth nan master circuit tin expect to spot overmuch much of nan pair, who person been playing each different since their under-10 days.

Stojsavljevic, who names Maria Sharapova and Novak Djokovic arsenic her idols, is simply a cleanable and powerful shot striker while Klugman tin service and volley and - successful her ain words - "does not play for illustration a accustomed woman".

"I've sewage slice, I for illustration to alteration nan hit up, messiness nan subordinate up a small spot - and I've sewage a large serve," she said astatine Wimbledon this year.

"I utilized to emotion Ash Barty and I besides really for illustration Emma Navarro arsenic well."