Renee Almane, Emerson Jones and Cruz Hewitt were among the winners as Australian Open 2025 junior competitions kicked off at Melbourne Park.
Melbourne, VIC, 18 January 2025 | Jackson Mansell
Fifteen-year-old Renee Alame has recorded her maiden junior Grand Slam victory after ousting Australian Open 2024 girls’ quarterfinalist Ksenia Efremova 6-2 0-6 6-3 in the first round of AO 2025.
The girls’ world No.60 continues to build on her impressive 2024 season, which included four titles and a spot in the Australian Junior Billie Jean King Cup team.
“I don’t even know how to feel, to be honest. Just knowing that all my hard work has paid off, I’m very happy and thrilled to get this win,” she said.
What a moment 🥹
Renee Alame scores herself a maiden AO juniors win! #AO2025 pic.twitter.com/h25k08ubIe
— TennisAustralia (@TennisAustralia) January 18, 2025
Alame had the support of several close family members and friends who travelled from Sydney to be in the stands. Decked out in custom t-shirts, the Australian junior No.3 was willed on by the support of her home crowd.
“It means the world to me. I think half the crowd was with me there. They got the win, too. I got the win, and so did they,” she said. “Everyone that I love was in the stands and I just couldn’t have done it without them.”
> VIEW: Australian Open 2025 girls’ singles draw
Later on Saturday, junior world No.1 Emerson Jones began her AO 2025 campaign in convincing style, defeating Anastasia Lizunova 6-3 6-3.
The 16-year-old controlled the match from start to finish, needing just one hour to advance to the next round.
“I think it’s pretty good to win my first match of the juniors because I was a bit nervous before but it feels really good to get it done,” the No.1 seed said.
The Queenslander carries her senior form into the tournament. In November, Jones won her first title at the Perpetual NSW Open, before recording her maiden WTA-level victory in Adelaide against world No.37 Wang Xinyu.
“[Being junior world No.1] gives me confidence, but also, the matches I’ve played in the women’s give me a lot of confidence. So I know if I can maintain that level in the juniors, hopefully I’ll get far [at Australian Open 2025],” she said.
“I think that if I just play my own game and basically [play] at that level, I think it gives me a lot of confidence.”
After reaching the Australian Open 2024 final, Jones is hoping to become the first Australian girls’ champion at Melbourne Park since Siobhan Drake-Brockman 30 years ago.
> MORE: Australian Open 2025 boys’ singles draw
In boys’ action, Cruz Hewitt claimed his first junior Grand Slam match win after a 6-3 6-3 victory over Korean qualifier MooBeen Kim. The 16-year-old set up a second-round encounter with No.1 seed Jan Kumstat.
Former December Showdown winner Daniel Jovanovski pushed boys’ world No.6 Jack Kennedy to three sets in a match that lasted two hours and 28 minutes. Jovanovski held two match points in the third set but was unable to capitalise, ultimately falling 3-6 6-3 7-6(4).
Aussie junior wildcard Daniel Jovanovski takes the opening set off No. 4 Seed Jack Kennedy and Court 13 is absolutely loving it #AO2025 pic.twitter.com/qNm6wmQDYn
— TennisAustralia (@TennisAustralia) January 18, 2025
Aussies in action – Australian Open
TODAY’S RESULTS
Girls’ singles, first round
[1] Emerson Jones (AUS) d [Q] Anastasia Lizunova 6-3 6-3
Renee Alame (AUS) d Ksenia Efremova (FRA) 6-2 0-6 6-3
[9] Mingge Xu (GBR) d [WC] Ava Beck (AUS) 6-1 6-2
[Q] Shiho Tsujioka [JPN] d [WC] Jizelle Sibai (AUS) 6-3 6-2
Boys’ singles, first round
Cruz Hewitt (AUS) d [Q] MooBeen Kim (KOR) 6-3 6-3
[4] Jack Kennedy (USA) d [WC] Daniel Jovanovski (AUS) 3-6 6-3 7-6(4)
[10] Maxwell Exsted (USA) d [WC] Cooper Kose (AUS) 6-3 6-4
Ludvig Hede (SWE) d [WC] Ethan Domingo (AUS) 6-2 7-6(3)
Zangar Nurlanuly (KAZ) d [WC] Nikolas Baker (AUS) 6-2 3-6 6-3
COMING UP
Girls’ singles, first round
[WC] Koharu Nishikawa (AUS) v [3] Jeline Vandromme (BEL)
[WC] Tahlia Kokkinis (AUS) v [10] Rositsa Dencheva (BUL)
[WC] Sarah Mildren (AUS) v [11] Jana Kovackova (CZE)
[WC] Tori Russell (AUS) v [16] Julia Stusek (GER)
Alana Subasic (AUS) v Maia Ilinca Burcescu (ROU)
[WC] Emilie Chen (AUS) v Deniz Dilek (TUR)
Boys’ singles, first round
Ty Host (AUS) v [11] Flynn Thomas (SUI)
Duje Markovina (AUS) v [Q] Hyu Kawanishi (JPN)
[WC] Jake Dembo (AUS) v [Q] Pierluigi Basile (ITA)
[WC] Jeffery Strydom (AUS) v Yeonsu Jeong (KOR)
[WC] Ymerali Ibriami (AUS) v Pedro Albuquerque Dietrich
Girls’ singles, second round
[1] Emerson Jones (AUS) v Thea Frodin (USA)
Renee Alame (AUS) v [12] Alena Kovackova [CZE]
Boys’ singles, second round
Cruz Hewitt (AUS) v [1] Jan Kumstat (CZE)
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