New Champions Emerge as 123rd Annual
Junior Sectionals Wraps Up in Lakewood

The 123rd Annual USTA Southern California Junior Sectional Championships concluded recently, showcasing the section’s top junior talent across two consecutive weekends of singles competition. Held from June 7-15, matches took place at Marina High School, El Dorado Tennis Center, Seal Beach Tennis Center, and Lakewood Tennis Center, with all championships being decided exclusively at Lakewood.

The tournament began with Round of 64 matches on Saturday, June 7, followed by the Rounds of 32 and 16 on Sunday, June 8. Quarterfinals were contested on Friday, June 13, with semifinal matches held on Saturday, June 14, and the finals wrapping up the event on Sunday, June 15.

This year’s Sectionals offered more than just titles for the top players. The champions of the Boys’ and Girls’ 18s and 16s divisions earned main-draw wild cards into the upcoming SoCal Pro Series event in Lakewood, set for June 23-29, while the runners-up received wild cards into the qualifying round of the tournament. In addition, each division champion will represent Team SoCal at the Battle of the Sections in late July. Both the winner and finalist from each division also receive direct entry into the prestigious USTA Level 1 National Championships.

Joining the likes of Southern California tennis greats like Venus and Serena Williams, Michael Chang, and Taylor Fritz, these promising juniors etched their names into history alongside some of the sport’s all-time best who once claimed this very title.

Boys’ 18s

Taking home the championship in the Boys’ 18s division, Rishvanth Krishna (Irvine) defeated Pavel Bushuev (Irvine) in a three-set thriller, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(2). The No. 4 seed, Krishna cruised through his first three matches in straight sets, then maintained his momentum by defeating back-to-back seeded opponents in the quarterfinals and semifinals—one of whom was the tournament’s top seed. The final marked the only match in Krishna’s run that required a deciding set.

“This win means a lot to me, especially knowing all of the great players that have won this tournament before me,” Krishna said. “I’m most proud of my semifinals win because it was against the No. 1 seed and it was a really tough match. It also feels really good to now have won this tournament in both the 16s and 18s.”

No. 9 seed Bushuev reached the final with wins over the No. 3 and No. 5 seeds, edging the latter in a three-set semifinal capped by a decisive third-set tiebreak.

Girls’ 18s

The Girls’ 18s championship ultimately came down to the top two seeds, with No. 1 seed Brooke Kwon (Diamond Bar) defeating No. 2 seed Natalie Kha (Chino Hills) 6-4, 1-6, 6-3. After a first-round bye, Kwon dominated to close out the first weekend of play, winning her first two matches in straight sets and never allowing an opponent to win more than three games in any set. Her first major challenge arrived in the quarterfinals against a seeded opponent, where she edged out a narrow three-set victory, 7-6(4), 4-6, 7-6(8). She followed that with another gutsy semifinal win, coming back from a first-set tiebreak loss to prevail 6-7(9), 6-2, 6-4 and punch her ticket to the final.

“This victory is very special to me because I won this tournament two years ago in the 16s, so it feels great to now have two titles. I felt very strong mentally as I was down in a lot of matches, but was able to fight back,” Kwon stated. “Looking ahead, my goal is to win Hard Courts (2025 USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 16s and 18s National Championships) in August and hopefully also a pro tournament.”

For Kha, the path to the finals mirrored Kwon’s, as she also secured straight-set victories in her first two matches following a first-round bye. She then pulled off two hard-fought wins against seeded opponents, including a thrilling three-set semifinal victory, 7-6(6), 6-7(8), 6-4.

Boys’ 16s

Claiming Boys’ 16s title, No. 3 seed Nile Ung (Del Mar) toppled No. 1 seed JiHyuk Im (Irvine) by a score of 6-1, 7-6 (3). Not dropping a single set throughout the entire tournament, Ung was as good as ever, making his way through the draw with apparent ease. The most notable of Ung’s victories came in both the semifinals and the finals, where he pulled off back-to-back upsets over the top-two seeds of the draw.

“Having won feels amazing and means a lot as I worked really hard to get here. I’m most proud of the second set during the final as we both had our chances and really grinded it out, but ultimately I was able to get through,” Ung mentioned. “Luckily, I now get a wild card into the qualifying of Pro Series so I am going to go there and do my best, and then follow that up with (L1) Clay Courts and hopefully make a mark there.”

Finishing as the finalist, Im was equally strong throughout his matches leading up to the final, winning all five of them in straight sets. His opponents managed to win more than three games in a set only once during that stretch.

Girls’ 16s

Top-seeded Madeline Cleary (Moorpark) lived up to her billing,  defeating No. 4 seed Amy Duong (Fountain Valley) 6-3, 6-2 to claim the Girls’ 16s title. Dominant from start to finish, Cleary lost just 16 games across six matches—while winning 72 games—and took down four seeded opponents along the way. The win marks a milestone moment for Cleary, as she now holdsJunior Sectionals titles in both singles and doubles.

“This is such a great tournament and I have been playing it ever since I was young, so winning it means a lot. I think my ability to grind through points and focus on being present in every single point really helped me,” Cleary added. “I’m really excited to now play Battle of the Sections as this win gives me a wild card into it. It’s such a fun tournament being able to play alongside other players from SoCal. I’m also looking forward to Hard Courts in San Diego which will be super fun.”

The runner-up, Duong was a formidable force through her first five matches, winning four in straight sets and taking down three seeded opponents, including the No. 2 seed, on her way to the final. Her toughest challenge came in the round of 16, where she rallied from a first-set loss to win 2-6, 6-4, 10-4.

Boys’ 14s

Prevailing as the top-seed of the draw, No. 1 seed Noah Bouzoubaa (San Diego) beat No. 5 seed Kamden Harden (Long Beach) to earn the Boys’ 14s championship. Making his presence felt early, Bouzoubaa set the tone for the tournament with a “double bagel” win in his first-round match. He then cruised through the rest of the draw, winning all five of his remaining matches in straight sets.

“In Sectionals, I had never advanced past the first weekend until this tournament, so I knew that I had to make it happen this time. It feels great to win such a prestigious tournament like this one and to now have my name up there with players like Brandon Nakashima,” Bouzoubaa shared. “I’m most proud of my finals win as I was striking the ball very well and was able to overcome my nerves in the first set.”

Equally impressive throughout the tournament, Harden defeated all of his opponents in straight sets, including two matches won via walkover and retirement.

Girls’ 14s

In the Girls’ 14s finale, No. 5 seed Charlotte Kim (Irvine) bested Nicole Handjono (Cerritos), 6-3, 6-0, capping off her impressive performance over the two weekends. Kim was exceptional in her first two matches, dropping only a single game. After those victories, she dispatched a seeded opponent in straight sets before facing her toughest challenge yet—the No. 2 seed. In a back-and-forth battle that went the distance, Kim emerged victorious, 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-4. She then closed out the tournament with two more straight-set wins over seeded players to claim the title.

“This win feels great and I am super happy to be here. I’m so grateful for my parents and coaches who supported me along the way,” Kim explained. “This victory just shows all of the progress that I have made throughout the last year as I finished as a runner-up in 2024, and now was able to win it all.”

Making a run for the ages, Handjono had no easy route to the finals. After winning her opening match in straight sets, she followed with another straight-sets victory over seeded competition. Her most notable win came in the round of 16, where she defeated the No. 1 seed in straight sets. She then continued her dominant form by taking down two more seeded opponents in the quarterfinals and semifinals, also in straight sets.

Boys’ 12s

In a hard fought championship match in the Boys’ 12s division, No. 1 seed Chris Deng (Alhambra) took down Rio Faulkner (Ojai) by a score of 6-4, 6-4. Leading up to the final, Deng was simply remarkable, winning all five of his matches in straight sets and never allowing an opponent to win more than one game per set. By the end of the tournament, he had amassed an impressive 72 games won to just 13 lost, including three victories over seeded players.

“This win feels great because I finished in second and third place in Sectionals events last year, so taking first means a lot,” said Deng. “I’m very proud of this finals match because I was able to come back after being down 1-4 in the second set.”

Faulkner looked strong early on, winning his first two matches in straight sets. Facing a tough test in the round of 16, he came back to squeeze out a three-set victory over a seeded opponent, 6-7(6), 6-2, 10-5, advancing to the quarterfinals. There, he defeated the No. 2 seed in straight sets before besting the No. 3 seed in the semifinals, punching his ticket to the finals.

Girls’ 12s

Rounding out the two weekends of play, No. 3 seeded Lindy Zhou (Glendale) captured the Girls’ 12s championship in a fiercely contested final against No. 2 seed Cordelia Skye (Los Angeles), 6-4, 7-5. After a first-round bye, Zhou went on to win all five of her matches in straight sets, including four victories over seeded opponents—most notably the No. 1 seed in the semifinals. In the matches leading up to the final, she never conceded more than four points in a set.

“I’ve been hoping to win this tournament since last year, and this is also my first-ever L3 win, so it’s really special. I think my attitude throughout the tournament was really good and helped me in my matches,” Zhou noted. “My next upcoming tournament is Clay Court Nationals, so I really hope I can make a run to at least the third or fourth round there.”

Also benefiting from a first-round bye, Skye dispatched her first three opponents in straight sets, including two seeded players. Most notably, in the semifinals, she mounted a gritty comeback to defeat the No. 4 seed, 3-6, 6-1, 10-7.

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For a past listing of SoCal Junior Sectionals champions, click here!