Spain's Rafael Jodar and Great Britain's Mika Stojsavljevic took contrasting paths to the singles titles on Saturday at the 2024 US Open Junior Championships. With the trophy tilts played simultaneously at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the unseeded Stojsavljevic beat Japan's Wakana Sonobe, 6-4, 6-4, before Jodar used a clutch finish to upset top seed Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(1).
Jodar's steady play in the decisive 10-point tiebreak earned him his first junior Grand Slam title, with the 17-year-old fighting back from a break down at 4-3 in the final set to secure the milestone victory. The Spaniard saved eight of 11 break points in the match, including seven of eight in the third set.
"I'm in a dream right now," Jodar said in his championship press conference. "It was a battle. I want to congratulate also Nicolai for the tournament and for the match. It's been a pleasure to play a final against him.
"I'm really proud of myself. I think all the work I've been doing this season, not only this season, just in general, in my whole life, has been showed here in this tournament."
At 2 hours, 6 minutes, the boys' final was the longest of the four junior title matches played concurrently early Saturday afternoon, before heavy rain later in the day. As the match wore on, the Court 11 crowd swelled to standing-room only.
"There were many, many people watching the match...I had to be focused, not thinking about all the people who were watching the match," Jodar said. "I played my game in the super-tiebreak of the third set. So I think that's why I won this match."
Stojsavljevic knocked out the seventh-seeded Sonobe in 85 minutes, dropping serve just once in the final. The Briton was especially dominant on her first serve, winning 91% (31/34) of those points and hitting as high as 110 mph on the radar gun.
"I think it was a really good match," said the 16-year-old. "She played really well, and I think we both stepped up our level in the second set. I think it was not something that I maybe expected, but I'm super happy."
She later added: "I think I'm still in a little bit of shock."
Like 2021 US Open women's singles champ Emma Raducanu did years ago, Stojsavljevic is also attending in-person school in Great Britain. The 16-year-old will be back at Amherst School in Loughborough on Tuesday.
"Probably Emma's was the first [Grand Slam] I remember, but Maria Sharapova and Novak Djokovic have always been my idols," she said.
Both junior doubles finals were also close contests. Malak El Allami and Emily Sartz-Lunde beat Julie Pastikova and Julia Stusek, 6-2, 4-6, 10-6 to claim the girls' crown, while top seeds Maxim Mrva and Rei Sakamoto claimed the boys' title with a 7-5, 7-6(1), win against Denis Petak and Flynn Thomas.
