Jack Kennedy, Kristina Penickova, Ben Willwerth to compete at 2025 ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals

Three Americans—Jack Kennedy, Ben Willwerth and Kristina Penickova—are among the 16 confirmed competitors heading to Chengdu, China, to compete in the 2025 ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals.

In singles, Kennedy made a boys' quarterfinal appearance at the 2025 Australian Open and reached a career-high junior ranking of No. 5 in June, after nabbing an ITF junior singles title earlier this year. He’s committed to playing collegiate tennis for the Virginia Cavaliers in the fall of 2026.

Willwerth, who came in as runner-up to Kennedy and Hance in the 2025 US Open boys' doubles final with partner Noah Johnston, is another rising star looking to build his already impressive resume. This year, the No. 6 junior also made it to the boys’ doubles final at Roland Garros and the boys’ singles final at the Australian Open. 

Penickova has also achieved significant success throughout this year's Grand Slam circuit, sitting at a career-high junior ranking of No. 3. She reached the girls' singles and doubles finals at the Australian Open, claiming the doubles title alongside twin sister Annika Penickova. They also made it to the girls' doubles semifinals at Roland Garros, before Penickova claimed another junior Grand Slam doubles win at Wimbledon with partner Vendula Valdmannová. 

Considered the junior equivalent of the ATP and WTA Finals, the ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals follow a similar format. After arriving in Chengdu, players will be divided into two groups of four and compete in three days of round-robin competition to determine the semi-finalists. 

For the first time, the winners will each receive 1,000 ranking points—the same as a junior Grand Slam—offering a potentially critical boost toward finishing the year as world No. 1.

Success at the Finals offers far-reaching opportunities. A strong year end ITF Junior Ranking provides access to the ITF Junior Accelerator Programme, supporting the transition to higher-level professional tournament opportunities. Players will also be competing to share a record $220,000 in travel grants to help support their journey to professional tennis, with the champions in both the boys’ and girls’ events winning up to $23,000.

“The ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals stand as the pinnacle of the junior calendar and a crucial milestone on the player pathway. Showcasing the world’s best boys and girls, the event celebrates their achievements over the past 52 weeks while preparing them for a future at the highest levels of professional tennis,” said Matt Byford, ITF Executive Director of juniors. 

“With enhanced ranking points, record travel grants, and the chance to compete on a truly global stage, the Finals offer the next generation of players a unique platform to launch the next chapter of their careers.”