From Upsets to Gold: SoCal Juniors Make Their Mark
at 2025 USTA National Winter Championships

Southern California’s top junior players lit up the USTA National Level 1 National Winter Championships from December 28 to January 3, racking up titles, podium finishes, and standout performances across multiple age divisions. Their results highlighted the region’s depth of talent and reinforced SoCal’s position as a national tennis powerhouse.

The Girls’ and Boys’ 12s and 14s divisions competed at the University of Texas in San Antonio, featuring 128 competitors in each draw. Doubles proved to be a particular strength for Southern California players, who made a big splash across the 12s divisions.

Rancho Palos Verdes’ Lucy Jiang, who earlier in November captured both the Girls’ and Mixed 12s doubles titles at Junior Doubles Sectionals, continued her dominant doubles run. Teamed with Mid-Atlantic’s Summer Yang as the No. 3 seeds in Girls’ 12s doubles, Jiang rolled through four straight-set victories before facing Tabitha Wasserman and Spoorthy Prakash Hedge in the semifinals. After dropping the second set, Jiang and Yang bounced back to win 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 and advance to the final.

In the championship, they faced No. 9 seeds Grace Malhotra of Rolling Hills Estates and Ayenxavia Calugay from Intermountain. Jiang showcased her doubles prowess with a commanding 6-0, 7-6(5) win to claim the USTA Gold Ball. Malhotra earned a USTA Silver Ball for her own strong run, which included a semifinal victory over fellow Southern Californians Julie Lai of Rolling Hills Estates and San Diego’s Suzanne Kang, who finished fourth overall.

In Boys’ 12s doubles, Tarzana’s Jaden Joyner and Laguna Beach’s Kade Grover, the No. 6 seeds, delivered a masterclass in teamwork. The duo cruised through their first three matches in straight sets before battling through a tense 10-point tiebreak in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, they overcame Irvine duo Benedict Zhong and Lucas Liu, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, sending them to the final. Though they fell to No. 2 seeds Jackson Ansbach and Aaron Peng, Joyner and Grover earned a USTA Silver Ball and left a lasting impression with their poise and chemistry on court.

Joyner was also honored with the Boys’ 12s Sportsmanship Award, a testament to his character, respect for the game, and the way he carries himself on and off the court.

Bel Air’s Ethan Kim made noise from the start in Boys’ 12s singles, ripping off three straight-set wins to open his run. The No. 16 seed then stunned No. 3 Jackson Ansbach in the round of 16, rallying from a set down. Kim stayed locked in, knocking out No. 10 Sanath Anand in the quarterfinals before outlasting No. 2 William Zhang in a gritty semifinal, 7-6(1), 3-6, 6-4. In the final, he faced top seed Dmitriy Flyam and capped a breakout week by earning the USTA Silver Ball.

Unseeded Tustin native Nathan Lee made waves in Boys’ 14s singles, storming into the final with six straight-set victories. His path included a 6-1, 6-3 upset of No. 1 seed Sebastian Zavala, a 6-4, 6-4 quarterfinal win over No. 13 seed Rex Kulman, and a commanding 6-3, 6-0 semifinal over fellow Southern Californian and No. 9 seed Andy Wu of Diamond Bar. Lee battled No. 3 seed Andres Quijada in the final before falling 7-6(6), 6-0, earning a USTA Silver Ball. Wu took home the Bronze Ball after No. 2 seed Jiarui Zhang withdrew from the third-place match.

Lee carried his momentum into doubles, teaming with Florida’s Max D. Smith. The pair rolled through three straight-set wins, then edged No. 10 seeds Andy Wu and Tanmay Knduri, 6-3, 2-6, [10-8], in the quarterfinals. They fell in the semifinals to No. 2 seeds Joshua LaTour and Nathan Goldman but bounced back to defeat No. 3 seeds Tony Xu and Jacques Chen, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, in the third-place match, securing a USTA Bronze Ball.

On the girls’ side, Irvine’s Charlotte Kim turned in a strong singles performance. She dominated her first two matches, dropping just two games total, then battled through three-set wins over No. 7 seed Jessie Janiak, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, and fellow Irvine native Lillian Chhiv, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. Kim continued her strong form with a quarterfinal statement win over No. 1 seed Ava Chua, 6-2, 6-2, before falling to No. 9 seed Eugenia Alvarez. She went on to finish fourth after a playoff loss to No. 5 seed Reese Ellingson.

La Jolla’s Andrea Jakovljevic and Manhattan Beach’s Mia Sandblom teamed up as the No. 14 seeds in Girls’ 14s doubles and tore through the draw. After three straight-set wins—including a statement upset of the No. 7 seeds—they faced No. 4 seeds Alexandra Hu and Natalia Martinez in the quarterfinals, winning a thrilling 10-point tiebreak, 6-2, 2-6, [10-8]. In the semifinals, they stunned top seeds Kendall Noel and Christina Li, 6-2, 6-3, and carried that momentum into the final, finishing with a hard-fought USTA Silver Ball behind No. 5 seeds Oleana Zerres and Ava Chu.

At the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida, Del Mar’s Nile Ung lit up the Boys’ 16s draw. After three strong wins to start, he fended past No. 17 seed Atticus Kim, 6-3, 7-6(5), then shocked top seed Daniel Malacek in a thrilling 6-1, 0-6, 6-4 quarterfinal. In the championship match, he sealed the deal against No. 17 seed Akshay Mirmira, 7-6(7), 6-4, claiming the USTA Gold Ball and capping an unforgettable run.

Irvine’s Kenzie Nguyen delivered a flawless performance in the Girls’ 18s singles, capturing the USTA Gold Ball without dropping a single set. The No. 8 seed powered past a string of top competitors, including No. 17 Elizabeth Fauchet, No. 13 Natalie Kha of Chino Hills, and No. 3 Carrie-Anne Hoo. In the final, Nguyen faced the top seed, and never let up, dominating 6-4, 7-5 to cap an extraordinary, unstoppable run.

San Diego’s Andrew Li and Ilias Bouzoubaa made their mark in the 18s draws with standout performances. Li dominated in singles, cruising through his first five matches in straight sets and winning 75% of the games along the way. The No. 17 seed showed incredible determination in the semifinals, coming back from a set down to defeat No. 13 seed Noble Renfrow, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, and secure a spot in the final.

In the championship match, Li battled No. 2 seed Ronit Karki in a thrilling three-set showdown. Though he came up just short, his resilience, consistency, and dominant play throughout the tournament earned him a well-deserved USTA Silver Ball.

Bouzoubaa teamed up with Rowan Qalbani from Eastern for an impressive run in the Boys’ 18s doubles. The unseeded San Diego duo stormed through the draw, knocking out top seeds Austin He and John Gentek, 6-4, 6-3, in the round of 32, then defeating No. 9 seeds Graeme Angus and Joaquin Blanco, 6-2, 7-6(7), in the quarterfinals. Without dropping a set, they advanced to the final, where they fell 2-6, 5-7 to Wesley Cotton and William McEwan. Their remarkable underdog run earned them a USTA Silver Ball and cemented them as one of the tournament’s standout teams.

Southern California juniors once again proved why the region is a national powerhouse. With thrilling comebacks, dominant runs, and multiple USTA Gold and Silver Ball winners, these young athletes showcased both talent and tenacity. From the 12s doubles standouts to 18s singles champions, the future of tennis in Southern California looks brighter than ever.