SoCal Top Juniors Ready for Billie Jean King Girls’ 16s
and 18s National Championships in San Diego

From August 2-10, the USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 16s and 18s National Championships return to San Diego’s Barnes Tennis Center, drawing nearly 400 of the nation’s top junior players for one of the most prestigious events in American junior tennis. Now in its 107th year, this USTA Level 1 tournament has become a launchpad for rising American tennis stars and a marquee stage for Southern California talent.

Both age divisions feature 192-player singles draws and 96-team doubles draws, with national titles and US Open wild cards on the line. The Girls’ 18s singles champion earns direct entry into the 2025 US Open main draw, while the finalist receives a wild card into qualifying. The Girls’ 18s doubles champions will compete in the US Open women’s doubles main draw, and the Girls’ 16s singles winner will earn a wild card into the Junior US Open main draw.

Girls’ 16s action kicks off Saturday, August 2, with finals set for Saturday, August 9. The Girls’ 18s division begins Sunday, August 3, and wraps up with championship matches on Sunday, August 10.

A Tournament Steeped in History and Tradition

Nearly every American player on the WTA Tour—past or present—has competed in or won this event, a proving ground for future champions. In 1977, a 14-year-old Tracy Austin from Palos Verdes made her mark as the Girls’ 16s singles finalist and doubles champion alongside Maria Fernandez. That same year, she went on to capture the Girls’ 18s singles title (the 16s and 18s championships were played at different times). Austin returned in 1978 to defeat Pam Shriver for the Girls’ 16s crown, then swept the 18s singles and doubles titles at The Charleston Tennis Club in West Virginia. Just one year later, she made history by becoming the youngest US Open women’s singles champion at 16 years and 9 months. 

Fellow Southern California legend Lindsay Davenport followed a similar path by winning the Girls’ 16s doubles title in 1990 before sweeping the 18s singles and doubles in 1991. Most recently, Torrance native Iva Jovic dominated the 2024 Girls’ 18s, winning both singles and doubles to earn US Open main draw wild cards in each event.

From icons like Chris Evert to current stars like Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula, the tournament continues to deliver on its promise: Where Champions Are Made.

SoCal’s Julieta Pareja Returns Home as World #1 Junior

Carlsbad’s Julieta Pareja, 16, returns to San Diego as the hometown favorite and No. 2 seed in the Girls’ 18s singles draw—now ranked as the world’s top junior after an electrifying run to both the singles and doubles finals at Wimbledon. 

Pareja won five straight matches to reach the Wimbledon singles final, where she fell to Slovakia’s Mia Pohankova. The performance catapulted her to No. 1 in the latest ITF Junior Rankings.

“I had an amazing experience at Wimbledon,” Pareja said. “Being able to manage playing on grass, as I had never played before on it, gave me a lot of confidence that I can adjust to different challenges. My goals remain to keep working hard and getting better, and to be able to keep getting opportunities to compete at a high level.”

In doubles, Pareja teamed up with Woodland Hills’ Thea Frodin, also 16, who played two SoCal Pro Series events this summer. She enters Girls’ Nationals as the No. 12 seed in the 18s. The Southern California duo surged to the Wimbledon girls’ doubles final, where they faced NorCal’s Kristina Penickova, ranked No. 5 in the world, and Czech standout Vendula Valdmannova.

This season, Pareja has captured junior singles titles in Roehampton, Indian Wells, and Barranquilla, and reached a career-high WTA ranking of No. 317.

At last year’s Girls’ Nationals, she captured the consolation title (5th place) in the Girls’ 18s singles draw, an early glimpse of the tenacity that continues to define her rise. Now, with momentum behind her and the support of a local crowd, she returns to Barnes Tennis Center poised for a title run.

“I have played so many matches at Barnes Tennis Center and it is always nice to be home,” she said.

Wild Cards Elevate SoCal’s Presence in Girls’ 18s Draw

This year’s Girls’ 18s draw features four Southern California wild card entrants who have made significant waves on the SoCal Pro Series circuit this summer. Each brings a unique background and competitive fire, adding depth to an already stacked field.

San Diego’s Alyssa Ahn, the 2022 Girls’ 16s National Champion, returns to defend her hometown courts as the No. 7 seed, carrying pro and national experience.

“Winning the Girls’ 16s National title in 2022 was instrumental to the player I am today,” Ahn said. 

Ahn has had a breakout summer on the SoCal Pro Series, highlighted by a run to her first pro final. She trains full-time at the Steve Adamson Academy onsite at Barnes.

“I’m lucky to train at home with Steve, who knows how to prepare me best,” she said. “This US Open wild card opportunity adds positive pressure I can use as motivation.”

Mission Viejo’s Lani Chang, 14, daughter of Tennis Hall of Famer Michael Chang and NCAA champion Amber Liu Chang, enters the Girls’ 18s as a wild card.

“I see these ‘expectations’ as goals because I’m on my own path and grateful for my family’s guidance,” she said. “I’m shooting for my own dreams, accepting tough times, and working to better myself.”

Chang’s 2025 highlights include a pro semifinal and a singles title in Santo Domingo. Returning to the SoCal courts hold special meaning for her.

“Playing at Barnes so many times, I love the courts and facility,” she said. “Playing at home has always been amazing and made me realize how lucky I am.”

Despite the stakes, Chang stays grounded.

“I’m just seeing this as another tournament, taking it one match at a time. I’m excited for the opportunity.”

South Pasadena’s Kate Fakih, the No. 10 seed, rounds out the group with a resume spanning junior and collegiate success. As a UCLA freshman, Kate earned All-Big Ten Second-Team honors and helped lead the Bruins to the NCAA doubles final alongside teammate Olivia Center. The unseeded duo stunned the competition at the 2023 Girls’ Nationals in San Diego, winning the Girls’ 18s doubles title and earning a US Open main draw wild card.

“I would love to do well at the Hard Courts, to have a shot at being back at the US Open,” Fakih said.

Finally, Van Nuys’ Maria Aytoyan has quietly built momentum on the SoCal Pro Series. After navigating qualifying draws in three events, Maria advanced to the second round each time, building on last year’s Girls’ 16s Consolation championship and emerging as a promising SoCal talent.

Girls’ 18s Field Full of Firepower

The Girls’ 18s singles draw is loaded with elite talent, underscoring Southern California’s continued national prominence. Among the headliners is South Pasadena’s Nicole Weng, the No. 1 player nationally and in Southern California according to the USTA Girls’ 18 National Standings List, and the No. 8 seed in this year’s draw. A USTA Silver Ball winner in last year’s Girls’ 16s final, Weng added a USTA Gold Ball to her resume earlier this month by winning the L1 National Clay Court Championships.

Adding strength is San Marino’s Tianmei Wang, fresh off a breakthrough win at the recent SoCal Pro Series event at San Diego State University, where she defeated 2016 Girls’ 18s National champion Kayla Day to claim her first professional title. 

Joining Pareja and Ahn are several other talented San Diego County players, including Daniela Navarro, Carley Chen, Elena Zhao, Sophie Lau, Anqi Mei, Margaret Hui, and Kylie Liu.

Southern California’s depth extends further with top juniors like Kenzie Nguyen (Irvine), Alexandra “Lexi” Wolf (Pacific Palisades), Amy Lee (Beverly Hills), Reagan Levine (Laguna Beach), Anna Cherico (Fountain Valley), Sydney Barnhart (Ladera Ranch), Delilah Rizvi (Newbury Park), Sophie Suh (Orange), Emily Gao (Rancho Santa Margarita), Grace Kersenbrock (Newport Beach), Kara Chen (Santa Ana), Mandy Oliveros (Lakewood), Camille Allegre (Aliso Viejo), Kayla Chung (Los Angeles), and Alisa Lansky (Redondo Beach). Each brings their own unique style and determination, ensuring the Girls’ 18s singles competition will be thrilling and high-caliber.

Rising Stars Set to Shine in the Girls’ 16s Division

The Girls’ 16s singles division offers a glimpse of American tennis’ future, with Southern California juniors poised to make a significant impact. Five SoCal players are seeded inside the top 15, headlined by No. 2 seed Armira Kockinis of La Habra Heights. Kockinis recently earned her first WTA point at the SoCal Pro Series event held over Fourth of July weekend at Jack Kramer Club, a milestone that has boosted her confidence heading into Girls’ Nationals.

“Earning my first WTA point has given me a good amount of confidence,” Armira said. “I’m excited to see what the rest of the year has in store.”

Last year, she captured the Girls’ 14s singles title at the L1 USTA National Championships, claiming a USTA Gold Ball, an achievement that has further shaped her approach to the 16s division this year.

“Winning 14s Nationals last year has given me a lot of hope for success going into this year’s tournament. Hopefully I can pull off another win and capture my third Gold Ball!” she said.

Armira is focused on staying present throughout the tournament, aiming to enjoy the competition while pushing her limits.

“My goal for this tournament is to focus match by match as I always do, and see how far I can go. Obviously my end goal would be to win but I am definitely excited to compete hard and have fun,” she shared. “My previous success over the last few months has been really exciting. I’m incredibly grateful that I have these opportunities to play these tournaments and compete against some of the best girls in the nation. Winning Nationals has motivated me to believe I deserve to be here and I have what it takes.”

Other seeded SoCal players include No. 7 seed and Trabuco Canyon native Julia Seversen, who earned a USTA Bronze Ball at the Clay Court Championships, and No. 10 seed Natalie Kha of Chino Hills, who has had a standout summer playing in three SoCal Pro Series qualifying draws and reaching the Girls’ 18s final at the 123rd Annual USTA SoCal Junior Sectionals. Kara Garcia from Sylmar and Kingsley “Kiki” Wolf (Pacific Palisades) round out the SoCal seeds at No. 16 and No. 17, respectively.

Several top finishers from Junior Sectionals will also be in action, including Girls’ 16s champion Madeline Cleary (Moorpark), Girls’ 18s champion Brooke Kwon (Diamond Bar), and Girls’ 16s finalist Amy Duong (Fountain Valley).

In addition to the seeded players, a deep roster of SoCal juniors will add depth and intrigue to the field. Among them are Los Angeles’ Abigail Haile, Delaney Letzel, and Emergy June Martin, Irvine’s Mingyue Deng, Anya Arora, and Lisa Polkanova, Raina Kim (Santa Monica), Ania Zabost (Tarzana), Olivia Lewis (Yucaipa), Ella Olofson (Hidden Hills), Tanvi Pandey (Tustin), Myna Medicetty (Laguna Hills), Aashi Patel (Cerritos), Isabelle Nguyen (San Gabriel), and Kareena Yang (Redondo Beach).

San Diego County will also be well represented by Yilin Chen, Kiana Huerta, Juny Huh, Kiana Smith, and Lillian Xu, each looking to make an impact in one of the nation’s premier junior events.

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Admission and parking are free at all tournament venues. Matches are scheduled to begin daily at 8 a.m. PDT. In addition to the Barnes Tennis Center, early-round matches will be played from August 2-6 at Balboa Tennis Club and the University of San Diego. For full singles and doubles draws, daily schedules, and live updates, visit ustasocal.com/girlsnationals/.