Eight top junior girls qualified for the 2018 Team USA National Junior Team, a training program designed to give a collection of America’s best young players, born in either 2002 or 2003, opportunities to train together during the summer and travel to play against top junior competition from around the world.
Three players qualified automatically, through their previous junior results and/or rankings. The five additional players qualified for the team through a playoff, held May 1-5 at the USTA National Campus at Lake Nona in Orlando, Fla. Players were invited for the playoff based on tournament results, USTA national or ITF world ranking or by achieving USTA Player Development Excellence Grants.
2018 Team USA National Junior Team – Girls
*Whitney Osuigwe (16, Bradenton, Fla.)
*Alexa Noel (15, Summit, N.J.)
*Gabriella Price (14, Boca Raton, Fla.)
#Savannah Broadus (15, Carrollton, Texas)
#Kylie Collins (15, Savannah, Ga.)
#Emma Jackson (15, La Grange, Ill.)
#Connie Ma (14, Dublin, Calif.; Coach: Max Taylor)
#Alexandra Yepifanova (15, Aventura, Fla.)
*Automatic qualifier; #Qualified through playoff
USTA Player Development will provide the National Junior Team with training opportunities and coaching and travel assistance to select ITF tournaments and training opportunities throughout the summer.
Osuigwe is the reigning ITF World Junior Champion and French Open junior champion and is still the No. 1-ranked junior in the world despite not having played any junior tournaments in 2018. She recently reached the quarterfinals of the $80,000 USTA Pro Circuit women’s event in Charleston, S.C. Noel is the No. 7-ranked junior in the world and recently helped the U.S. Junior Fed Cup team qualify for September’s finals by sweeping its Qualifying matches in Mexico City. Price was also a member of that Junior Fed Cup team and is ranked No. 44 in the world junior rankings.
Broadus is ranked No. 7 in the USTA girls’ 16s national standings and recently reached the 18s singles quarterfinals and doubles final of the prestigious Easter Bowl junior tournament. Yepifanova is ranked in the Top 100 of the USTA girls’ 18s national standings and has achieved two USTA Player Development Excellence Grants. Collins is No. 15 in the USTA girls’ 16s national standings and reached the Easter Bowl doubles final with Broadus. Jackson was a girls’ 16s singles quarterfinalist at the USTA National Clay Court Championships last summer. Ma is rated No. 8 in the USTA girls’ 16s national standings and reached the semifinals of the USTA Girls’ 16s National Championships last summer.
Full results from this weekend’s final playoff are available now.