U.S. teams third at 2022 ITF World Junior Tennis Championships
At last week’s 2022 ITF World Junior Tennis Finals in Prostejov, Czech Republic, Team USA placed third in both the boys’ and girls’ divisions. Switzerland won the former competition, and the Czech Republic claimed the latter.
This year, the American boys were seeded third: Captain Jose Cabellero led up-and-comers Carel Ngounoue, Keaton Hance and Jack Kennedy. The second-seeded girls – guided by Kathy Rinaldi – included Capucine Jauffret, Shannon Lam and Julieta Pareja.
“We’re just so proud of the boys and girls – Team USA,” Rinadli told itftennis.com.
Team USA's girls at the 2022 ITF World Junior Tennis Championships. Credit: Serdjan Stevanovic
Each night, Team USA would gather in the hotel dining room for pizza and chicken wing dinners, as well as card games. Post-match meetings helped the kids bond and provided an opportunity to discuss the day’s competition – as well as prepare for upcoming challenges.
Team USA’s girls faced a significant quarterfinal opponent in Brazil. Jauffret and Lam ultimately clinched a semifinal spot with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Victoria Barros and Leticia Marangoni.
“I am just so proud of my girls,” Rinaldi said. “Capucine played some great tennis in both singles and doubles. Shannon had a really tough match, her opponent played really well so full credit to her. But Shannon regrouped, re-set and came out with that match behind her.”
The United States’ boys last earned back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019, while the girls most recently won in 2017.
Since its inaugural event in 1991, the ITF World Junior Tennis Championships has seen sports superstars like Rafael Nadal, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters compete. In recent years, some of America’s biggest current professional players – including Coco Gauff, Madison Keys, Sloane Stephens and Frances Tiafoe – represented their country at the tournament.
Team USA's boys at the 2022 ITF World Junior Tennis Championships. Credit: Serdjan Stevanovic
Boys final placings:
1) Switzerland
2) Germany
3) USA
4) Kazakhstan
5) Slovenia
6) Argentina
7) Bulgaria
8) Korea, Republic
9) Italy
10) Czech Republic
11) Japan
12) Ecuador
13) Colombia
14) Morocco
15) Mexico
16) South Africa
Girls final placings:
1) Czech Republic
2) Germany
3) USA
4) Slovakia
5) Korea, Republic
6) Great Britain
7) Japan
8) Brazil
9) Latvia
10) Serbia
11) Argentina
12) Canada
13) Australia
14) Egypt
15) Tunisia
16) India
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