Darwin Blanch, Clervie Ngounoue to compete at 2023 ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals

Ngounoue, the No. 2 junior in the world, was the 2023 junior girls’ singles champion at Wimbledon and girls' doubles champion at Roland Garros with fellow American Tyra Grant. In June, Ngounoue rose to world No. 1, and she also won two other ITF junior singles titles this year.

The USTA Girls’ 18s national champion received two US Open wild cards this year: She lost to Daria Saville in the first round of the women’s singles draw, in her Grand Slam singles main-draw debut, but reached the third round of the women’s doubles draw alongside partner Robin Montgomery.

Blanch, the younger brother of pro Ulises Blanch, is a promising young talent who trains at former world No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero's academy in Spain (which also produced Carlos Alcaraz).  He was a semifinalist at the junior events at Roland Garros and Wimbledon earlier in the summer, and reached a career-high ranking of No. 8 in August. He's currently ranked No. 9.

After arriving in Chengdu, the eight boys and eight girls will be drawn into two groups of four—in a similar format to the year-end ATP and WTA Finals for the pros. The top two from each group after three days of round-robin play will advance to the semifinals. The winners will receive 750 ranking points, a significant boost toward becoming the 2023 year-end junior No. 1. Players will also be competing for travel grants to support their pathway into professional tennis, up to a maximum of $18,500. All players, including alternates, will be assured a minimum of $3,000.

“Every year, the ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals mark an exhilarating finale to the junior season, offering a glimpse into the future stars of the sport. The ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors serves as a fundamental pathway, guiding talented young players to the pinnacle of the sport,” ITF President David Haggerty said. “With a storied history of past competitors who have ascended to greatness, this tournament remains a pivotal milestone in nurturing the world’s most promising tennis talent.”