Kaylan Bigun Wins First ITF Pro Title as First Week
of SoCal Pro Series Concludes in Lakewood

UCLA’s Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer Takes First Set Over Qualifier Tatum Evans, Ultimately Falling in Three Sets in Women’s Singles Final

Kaylan Bigun is the first to admit that transitioning to the pro tour after leaving UCLA after one year 12 months ago hasn’t been smooth sailing.

The huge sigh of relief the 20-year-old Bigun let out after he came back to win his first International Tennis Federation (ITF) singles title at the SoCal Pro Series’ Week 1 event at the Lakewood Tennis Center on Sunday could be heard all the way to San Diego.  

“It’s been one of my goals to win one of these tournaments and I’ve been close a couple of times,” the top-seeded Bigun said after his 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, win over No. 4 Amit Vales from Israel at the $15,000 event put on by USTA Southern California. “It’s been a year or two since I’ve won a tournament so it’s just a great feeling to have.”

A Redondo Beach native, Bigun currently resides in Westwood. His tennis journey has taken him to Arizona, Maryland, as well as stops at the USTA’s National Campus in Orlando and back to Carson before enrolling at UCLA in the fall of 2024.

His stint at UCLA came after he became just the fourth American male in nearly 50 years to win the French Open Juniors and become the No. 1 18-and-under player  in the world. After leading UCLA to the Big Ten Conference title, Bigun decided to turn pro with a bright future ahead.

Bigun said the past 12 months he has learned a ton in his first full year as a pro. “You can never know with tennis timelines,” said the lefty, ranked No 656 in the world. “I’ve been improving and glad it just clicked for me this week.”

Bigun had the support of friends and family all week in Lakewood, including a loud cheering section on Sunday that included his twin brother Meecah, who plays for Princeton. Bigun plans to play a second straight week in Lakewood before hitting the road and entering some larger Challenger tournaments.

In 2024, Bigun won a round at the US Open playing mixed doubles with current world No. 17 Iva Jovic from Torrance. That same year in the junior event, Bigun lost in three sets to current French Open quarterfinalist and star-in-making Rafael Jodar.

The 20-year-old Vales was playing his first SoCal Pro Series and is coming off a two-year stint in the Israeli Army where he was still able to train and play tennis tournaments near where he was stationed in Tel Aviv.

“It was a special week for me,” said Vales, who was playing in his third ITF final and still seeking his first title. “I didn’t take my chances when I could have. I like playing in L.A. and on the hardcourts so that’s why I came here. I plan to play this week here so maybe I can win that.”

In the women’s final, qualifier Tatum Evans pulled off her seventh win over the past seven days coming back to beat UCLA’s No. 5 Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2. It was the first ITF career pro title for the University of North Carolina senior from Virginia. Like Vales, Lutkemeyer was playing in her third ITF pro final having lost in the Lakewood final last summer to Eryn Cayetano.

“It was a great week,” said Evans, who pocketed 15 WTA ranking points and $2,352 in prize money. “Going through qualies was a battle, but it allowed me to get used to the conditions, which were perfect. Perfect weather, courts, and the people running the tournament were super helpful. So there wasn’t a lot to adjust to.”

Lutkemeyer, who earned 10 ranking points and a $1,470 runner-up share, was off to LAX where she planned to catch a plane to South Carolina as tomorrow she will play in qualifying at the ITF $100,000 Palmetto Pro Open in Sumter, South Carolina. Ranked No. 777 in the world, Lutkemeyer still has two weeks of school remaining before she receives her diploma.

“It’s definitely going to be a strange adjustment not going back and being with the team,” Lutkemeyer said. “Now it’s about hitting the road and traveling.” 

In the women’s doubles final, Laguna Niguel’s Maxine Murphy and Spain’s Eva Alvarez Sande captured the first of seven SoCal Pro Series doubles titles as the Washington State teammates beat former college players Jaeden Brown (Michigan) and Kailey Evans (USD), 6-2, 3-6, 10-6.

In the men’s doubles final, University of Texas teammate Lucas Marionneau from France and his Texas teammate Sebastian Gorzny beat the No. 3 New Zealand team of Reece Falck (UNC-Wilmington) and Matthew Shearer (Nebraska), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4). The former Irvine resident Gorzny had a stellar junior career, including winning the Wimbledon doubles title with current top 40 ATP pro Alex Michelsen from Aliso Viejo. It was the second ITF pro doubles title for Gorzny, who in 2024 won the SoCal Pro Series San Diego event with Learner Tien, currently No. 18 in the world.

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