Learner Tien, Clervie Ngounoue Earn US Open Main Draw Wild Cards
August 13, 2023
August 13, 2023 – Top American juniors Learner Tien (17; Irvine, Calif.) and Clervie Ngounoue (17; Washington, D.C.) won the USTA Boys’ and Girls’ 18s National Championships today, earning each a main-draw wild card into the US Open.
Tien, the top seed in the boys’ event in Kalamazoo, Mich., won his second consecutive boys’ 18s singles crown by defeating No. 10 seed Trevor Svajda (17; San Diego), 6-0, 6-4, 6-4. Svajda is the younger brother of Zachary Svajda, who won the boys’ 18s singles title in 2019 and 2021 (no event was held in 2020). Prior to Svajda and Tien, the last player to win back-to-back 18s singles titles was Jack Sock in 2010-11.
Tien, then 16 years old, fell in the opening round of the 2022 US Open in four sets. He then went on to play a semester of college tennis at USC before announcing his intentions to turn pro earlier this summer. He won his first professional singles title at a USTA Pro Circuit M15 event in his hometown of Irvine in June.
Ngounoue was also the top seed at the USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 18s event in San Diego. Fresh off winning the girls’ singles title at Wimbledon, Ngounoue stormed through the 18s singles draw, not dropping a set en route to the final. There she faced hometown favorite Katherine Hui (18; San Diego), whom she dispatched 1-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Ngounoue, who now lives in Orlando and trains at the USTA National Campus, will be heading to the US Open for the second consecutive year after winning the 18s doubles title in San Diego last year to earn her and partner Reese Brantmeier a main-draw doubles wild card. The No. 2 -ranked junior in the world will be making her Grand Slam singles main draw debut.
Hui, who is committed to play college tennis at Stanford next year, and Svajda, a rising high school senior, will both earn a US Open Qualifying wild card.
Alexander Frusina (17; Conroe, Texas) and Adhithya Ganesan (17; Clarksburg, Md.) won the boys’ 18s doubles title and will earn a US Open doubles wild card, while the girls’ 18s doubles final is set to be played later this evening. The winning pair will also earn a US Open doubles wild card.