Renee Almane, Emerson Jones and Cruz Hewitt were among the winners of the Australian Open 2025 junior competition, which began at Melbourne Park.
Melbourne, VIC, 18 January 2025 | jackson mansell
15-year-old Renee Alame wins her first Junior Grand Slam title after beating Australian Open 2024 women’s singles semifinalist Ksenia Efremova 6-2 0-6 6-3 in the first round of AO 2025 was recorded.
The women’s world number 60 continues her impressive 2024 season, winning four titles and earning a spot on the Australian Junior Billie Jean King Cup team.
“To be honest, I don’t even know how to feel. “I am very happy and happy to have won this because I know that all my hard work has paid off,” she said.
It’s truly a moment
Renee Alame wins her first AO Junior title! #AO2025 pic.twitter.com/h25k08ubIe
— TennisAustralia (@TennisAustralia) January 18, 2025
Alame was supported by close family and friends who traveled from Sydney to stand in the stands. Wearing a custom t-shirt, the Australian junior number three was happy to share in the support of the home crowd.
“It means the world to me. I think half the crowd was with me. They also won. “I won and they won,” he said. “Everyone I love was in the stands and I couldn’t have done it without them.”
> View: 2025 Australian Open Women’s Singles Bracket
Later on Saturday, junior world number one Emerson Jones kicked off her AO 2025 campaign in convincing style, defeating Anastasia Lizunova 6-3 6-3.
The 16-year-old dominated the match from start to finish, needing just an hour to advance to the next round.
The No. 1 seed said, “I used to be very nervous, but I feel really good that I won my first match as a junior.”
The Queenslander remains in senior form for the tournament. In November, Jones won her first title at the Perpetual NSW Open before recording her first win at WTA level against world No.37 Wang Xinyu in Adelaide.
“[Being junior world No.1] I have gained more confidence, but I also gained a lot of confidence through the women’s competition. So, I think I can see if I can maintain that level in my juniors and go far. [at Australian Open 2025]“She said.
“I think I play my own game and basically [play] “I think I gained a lot of confidence in that respect.”
Jones, who has reached the 2024 Australian Open final, is hoping to become the first Australian women’s champion at Melbourne Park since Siobhan Drake-Brockman 30 years ago.
> See more: 2025 Australian Open Men’s Singles Bracket
In the boys’ division, Cruz Hewitt won his first Junior Grand Slam title, defeating South Korean qualifier MooBeen Kim 6-3, 6-3. The 16-year-old has set up a second-round showdown with No. 1 seed Jan Kumstat.
Former December Showdown winner Daniel Jovanovski pushed men’s world No. 6 Jack Kennedy to three sets in a match that lasted two hours and 28 minutes. Jovanovski had two match points in the third set but was unable to capitalize, ultimately falling 3-6 6-3 7-6(4).
Australian junior wildcard Daniel Jovanovski takes down fourth seed Jack Kennedy in the opening set and Court 13 likes it. #AO2025 pic.twitter.com/qNm6wmQDYn
— TennisAustralia (@TennisAustralia) January 18, 2025
In action in Australia – Australian Open
today’s results
Women’s singles round 1
[1] Emerson Jones (Australia) d [Q] Anastasia Riznova 6-3 6-3
Rene Alame (AUS) d Ksenia Efremova (FRA) 6-2 0-6 6-3
[9] Mingge Xu (GBR) d [WC] Ava Beck (AUS) 6-1 6-2
[Q] Shiho Tsujioka [JPN] d [WC] Giselle Shivaye (AUS) 6-3 6-2
Men’s singles round 1
Cruz Hewitt (AUS) d [Q] Kim Moo-bin (KOR) 6-3 6-3
[4] Jack Kennedy (USA) d [WC] Daniel Jovanowski (AUS) 3-6 6-3 7-6(4)
[10] Maxwell Exsted (USA) d [WC] Cooper Kose (AUS) 6-3 6-4
Ludwig Hede (SWE) d [WC] Ethan Domingo (AUS) 6-2 7-6(3)
Zangar Nurlanuly (KAZ) d [WC] Nicholas Baker (AUS) 6-2 3-6 6-3
Coming soon
Women’s singles round 1
[WC] Koharu Nishikawa (AUS) five [3] Jelin Vandrome (BEL)
[WC] Thalia Coccinis (AUS) five [10] Losica Denceva (BUL)
[WC] Sarah Mildren (AUS) five [11] Yana Kovacova (CZE)
[WC] Tori Russell (AUS) five [16] Julia Stusek (GER)
Alana Subasic (AUS) v Maia Ilinka Bursescu (ROU)
[WC] Emily Chen (AUS) v Deniz Dilek (TUR)
Men’s singles round 1
Thai Host (AUS) five [11] Flynn Thomas (SUI)
Duje Markovina (AUS) five [Q] Hugh Kawanishi (Japan)
[WC] Jake Dembo (AUS) five [Q] Pierluigi Basile (ITA)
[WC] Jeffrey Strydom (AUS) v Jeong Yeon-soo (KOR)
[WC] Imerali Ibriami (AUS) v Pedro Albuquerque Dietrich
Women’s singles round 2
[1] Emerson Jones (Australia) v Thea Prodin (USA)
Rene Alame (AUS) five [12] Alena Kovackova [CZE]
Men’s singles round 2
Cruz Hewitt (AUS) five [1] Jan Kumstadt (CZE)
Find out how to play: visit play.tennis.com.au Go to the court and have fun!
