It’s only May, but we know that will be no girls junior calendar slam champion in 2026, after Australian Open winner Ksenia Efremova of France lost in the first round of the Roland Garros Junior Championships today to 14-year-old qualifier Ekaterina Dotsenko of Russia. Efremova, the top seed, had not played any junior events since her Australian Open girls title, and had just one qualifying win in her five tournaments at the WTA tour level this spring. Dotsenko, the 2025 Les Petits As champion, earned two good wins in qualifying but she had not won more than one match in the three ITF junior events she’s played on clay this year.
It was a discouraging opening day for Americans, with all six girls in action losing, and only four of the nine boys advancing.
Qualifier Agassi Rusher was one of the bright spots, with the 17-year-old from Florida earning his first win at a junior slam with a 6-4 7-5 decision over Motoharu Abe of Japan. Abe, the runner-up in last fall’s Japanese wild card playoff, received entry into the tournament after the winner, Kenta Watanabe, got in on his own ranking. Rusher will play his second round match Monday, as will Michael Antonius. Keaton Hance[6] and Ryan Cozad, the other two US boys advancing to the second round, will play their matches Tuesday.
The other boys qualifier, Safir Azam, led No. 3 seed Jamie Mackenzie of Germany 6-1, 4-4, but Mackenzie saved a break point in that game and went on to post a 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory.
Welles Newman had eight set points late in the first set against No. 11 seed Paola Pinera Celorio of Spain, but Pinera Celorio saved them all mostly with winners or forced errors, then converted her first set point at 11-10 in the tiebreaker and went on to a 7-6(10), 6-2 victory.
The doubles draws are out, with US Open boys doubles champions Kennedy and Hance the No. 2 seeds and on Monday’s schedule. Jack Secord and Puerto Rico’s Yannik Alvarez are the No. 6 seeds, with Luis Miguel of Brazil and Ziga Sesko of Slovenia the top seeds.
Pinera Celorio and Victoria Barros of Brazil are the top seeds in girls doubles; Welles Newman and Jordyn Hazelitt, who won a W35 earlier this month in Florida, are the No. 8 seeds. Thea Frodin and her partner Anastasija Cvetkovic of Serbia are the No. 3 seeds.
Sunday’s first round Roland Garros junior results of Americans:
Flynn Thomas(SUI) d. Jack Secord 1-6, 6-3, 6-1
Michael Antonius[13] d. Kirill Filaretov(RUS) 7-5, 6-0
Jamie Mackenzie[3](GER) d. Safir Azam[Q] 1-6, 6-4, 6-2
Agassi Rusher[Q] d. Motoharu Abe[WC](JPN) 6-4, 7-5
Keaton Hance[6] d. Marat Salbiev[Q](RUS) 6-3, 3-6, 6-1
Connor Doig(RSA) d. Gavin Goode 6-1, 2-0 ret.
Ryan Cozad d. Savva Rybkin(RUS) 6-2, 6-2
Raffaele Ciurnelli(ITA) d. Andy Johnson[11] 6-2, 6-4
Oliver Majdandzic([Q]GER) d. Tanishk Konduri 6-2, 6-4
Alisa Oktiabreva[12](RUS) d. Melije Clarke 6-1, 6-3
Felitsata Dorofeeva-Rybas[14](RUS) d. Lani Chang 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(3)
Giulia Popa(ROU) d. Sarah Ye[Q] 6-1, 6-1
Paola Pinera Celorio[11](ESP) d. Welles Newman 7-6(10), 6-2
Mariia Markarova[8](RUS) d. Jordyn Hazelitt 6-1, 7-5
Maia Burcescu(ROU) d. Thea Frodin 6-1, 6-3
Monday’s Roland Garros first round junior matches featuring Americans:
Carrie-Anne Hoo[Q] v Daphnee Mpetshi Perricard[WC](FRA)
Janae Preston[15] v Cindy Langlais[WC](FRA)
Jack Kennedy[4] v Emilio Camacho(ECU)
Tuesday’s Roland Garros second round junior matches featuring Americans:
Michael Antonius[13] v Kanta Watanabe(JPN)
Agassi Rusher[Q] v Zangar Nurlanuly[8](KAZ)
The 2023 and 2024 US Open boys champions have advanced to the men’s quarterfinals at Roland Garros with Joao Fonseca of Brazil(2023) beating Casper Rudd of Norway 7-5, 7-6(8), 5-7, 6-2 and Rafael Jodar(2024) of Spain coming from two sets down to defeat compatriot Pablo Carreno Busta 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.
Zachary Svajda v Flavio Cobolli[10](ITA)
Frances Tiafoe[19] v Matteo Arnaldi(ITA)
Madison Keys[19] v Diana Shnaider[25](RUS)
Just two weeks removed from their NCAA quarterfinal loss in Athens, two North Carolina stars claimed USTA Pro Circuit events today.
