TENNIS
TRARALGON JUNIOR INTERNATIONAL
BY BLAKE METCALF-HOLT
WHY take it away from Traralgon?
Locals came out in full force to close out the 33rd Traralgon Junior International, supporting the top world tennis tournament, which brings hundreds of the best talent across the globe to the region.
A grand and competitive competition took place, coming to an end with twilight singles and doubles finals last Wednesday (January 21), with further Australian Open Juniors qualifiers held until Thursday (January 22).
During the conclusive evening of the Junior International’s play, a crowd of more than 100 gathered in front of the show courts at the Traralgon Tennis Centre to see the four singles finalists go to battle for the famous Akubra.
Like any year and in any style of tournament, top seeds fell prominently throughout the course of the week, with upsets and surprise runs in bulk.
Much has been spoken about regarding the champions of yesteryears’ action, who have gone on to phenomenal professional careers – even associated with the word ‘greatness’.
That applies to 20-time grand slam winner Roger Federer, who surprised players and Traralgon officials alike by forwarding a special message in the lead up to the latest Junior International.
An abundance of significant winners have come in the years since Federer’s 1998 Traralgon success, including Nick Kyrgios, Alexander Zverev, Jelana Dokic and Iga Swiatek among many, many more.
Emerson Jones (2024 winner) was recently under the spotlight, making her grand slam debut at the Australian Open.
The most recent Australian Traralgon champion entered the main draw as a wildcard before succumbing to Canadian world Number 17 Victoria Mboko (who won the doubles final at Traralgon in 2022) in the first round.
The latest singles winners, Brazil’s Luis Guto Miguel and China’s Xinran Sun, have little time to celebrate their success, with the Australian Open Juniors beginning in the days following (Saturday, January 24).
As a world recognised event, Tennis Australia has been directly involved in the Traralgon Junior International for the last 24 years, being boots on the ground at the only regional leading tournament in the world.
“In terms of the overall set-up here in Traralgon, I think we’ve got everything we need here in terms of the courts are up to standards, the facility here, as well as the staff … everyone in the canteen that keeps everyone fed everyday … everything just works seamlessly,” Tennis Australia’s Competitive Play Coordinator, Sean Spralja told the Express.
Spralja also complemented the “little touches” done by the Traralgon Tennis Association to make it such a special venue, as the flags of all competitors fly around the borders of the facility.
For a number of months last year, a shadow of doubt had been cast over if Traralgon would retain the Junior International going forward.
It was then officially put to bed after Latrobe City Council announced it had reaffirmed its partnership with Tennis Australia to host the event until at least 2031.
Traralgon Tennis Association President Cameron Herbert issued great gratitude to all the players, volunteers and supporters post-singles finals, which has seen the event so strong for over three decades.
“Thank you to all the players for making it extra special, obviously without you it can’t happen,” he told the crowd.
“It also can’t happen without the wonderful support of our community – we have the most amazing volunteer culture here in the city of Latrobe, it’s amazing … I have never seen volunteering like we have here.”
Probably the most significant of all, Susie Grumley, who was given a loud ovation for all of her tireless work over the years.
Boys Singles and Doubles
BRAZIL’S on the board.
Luis Guto Miguel became the first Brazilian to be crowned boys’ champion of the Traralgon Junior International after a convincing defeat of Taiwan’s Kuan-Shou Chen in the singles final.
The 16-year-old kickstarted his 2026 campaign in the best way possible in his second venture at Traralgon, which also included winning the doubles tournament alongside Slovenia’s Ziga Sesko just a few hours after his singles victory.
Currently ranked as the fifth best junior in the world, Miguel earned three major titles in 2025 coming at Charleroi-Marcinelle, Repentigny and Merida, while also reaching the semis of the US Open Juniors last September.
It could be argued that Traralgon was a catalyst in his steep uptick last year, as in his first trip to the Latrobe Valley, he was ousted in the first round by the Czech Republic’s Jan Kumstat.
This time, vastly different results transpired.
Sitting as the boys’ Number 2 seed, Miguel ran through each match leading into the semi-final with relative ease, besides a close call in the third round against Puerto Rico’s Yannik Alvarez, winning in a tiebreaker.
To reach the final, Miguel caught American Keaton Hance, resulting in a matchup of second versus third.
While Hance was in fine form leading into the match, Miguel proved too much in the opportune moments, seeing the Brazilian reach the final in just his second year at Traralgon.
In the opposite bracket, Miguel’s opponent in Chen was on an equally impressive run, which began to raise eyebrows by dismissing Number 8 in the world, Germany’s Jamie Mackenzie in the quarter finals.
Chen would then bring the fairy tale story of Botswana’s Ntungamili Raguin to an end, lifting the Taiwanese junior into the final.
Raguin, who qualified for the knockouts in the first two days of the Junior International, provided one of the biggest upsets in recent memory, sending the Number 1 seed, France’s Yannick Theodor Alexandrescou home in the third round.
Alexandrescou, who is world Number 2, was defeated by the at the time world Number 93.
Locals arrived for the final anticipating a competitive contest, however, Miguel appeared to be on another level by the time of the first serve.
Dominating from the get-go, the Brazilian won the first two games seamlessly with his utter power, before the third game saw the intensity lift from Chen.
After either was unable to break the deuce several times, Miguel overcame and moved out to a 3-nil lead in the first set.
Chen was only able to collect one game to open proceedings, as Miguel continued to use the court well and had his opponent in all sorts of trouble.
While Chen persevered and never backed down right to the very end, he simply ran into a raging bull destined to rampage through to a win.
Photographs: Blake Metcalf-Holt
A short period of rain delayed the inevitable, as after a roughly 10 minutes of stoppage, only two more serves were delivered until the result was stamped in straight sets.
In accepting his trophy, and with it, the famous Akubra, Miguel quipped when addressing the crowd; “I like the hat.”
Both finalist wouldn’t have long to rest, as almost immediately they each headed into the boys’ doubles final and pitted off against each other for a second time.
Unfortunately, Chen wouldn’t be afforded any better luck, as he and Swiss player Flynn Thomas fell in straight sets to Miguel and Sesko.
Miguel’s Slovenian teammate has had quite the success in doubles competition in recent times, winning at Fort Lauderdale in December alongside the aforementioned Alvarez and before that with Miguel at Repentigny.
It was an equally dominant run for the pair at Traralgon, not dropping a game the whole tournament.
Girls Singles and Doubles
QUIETLY spoken Chinese junior Xinran Sun gracefully accepted the Traralgon Junior International’s girls’ singles trophy following a sensational tournament.
At just 15-years-old, Sun has claimed three junior majors in the last 12 months, shooting herself onto the map with a handful of impressive results recently, inclusive of Traralgon.
Throughout her ITF Women’s World Tennis Tour, the young gun won back-to-back Sharm El Sheikh titles, as well as victories at Fort Lauderdale and Nonthaburi.
Sun’s first time at Traralgon began with a hefty fight against Australian Reneee Alame, ultimately winning in straight sets, but was back-and-forth to open.
Her next two matches ended in way shorter times, only dropping one game combined before coming up against the tournament’s Number 1 seed, Czech Republic’s Alena Kovackova.
Kovackova, who is also the Number 2 junior in the world, was given a shock when she suddenly dropped the first set to begin the quarter final matchup.
Each continued to throw punches during the second set, before Sun eliminated the top seed, crucially winning the final two games.
After surpassing Russia’s Rada Zolotareva in the semis, Sun arrived into the final against seasoned junior, France’s Ksenia Efremova.
Evenly matched in terms of world ranking, Efremova toughly went through the earlier rounds, needing to win consecutive sets against New Zealand qualifier Aishi Das in the quarter final.
Just a year older than Sun, not only did the French junior have four titles to her name in 2025, this was Afremova’s third time at Traralgon.
Reaching the final for the second consecutive year, Sun’s opponent was hoping to exit the Latrobe Valley for the last time with the trophy in hand.
Sun had entered a groove throughout the tournament however, and immediately went on the attack, winning the opening set of the final, 6-1.
That level of play from Sun continued into the second set, and despite Afremova displaying some signs of redemption, Sun claimed the win in straight sets.
AUSTRALIA had just one representative on the final day of the Traralgon Junior International.
Sydney’s Renee Alame reached the girls’ doubles final alongside India’s Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi to face Russian pair, Mariia Makarova and Rada Zolotareva.
Usually paired with older sister Rianna (winners of four junior doubles majors in the last two years together), Alame showcased incredibly comfortably in her home country, regularly talking and encouraging her teammate Revathi.
Alame and Revathi went deep in the semis against Taiwan’s Yu-Chen Lin and China’s Yihan Qu, requiring a 10-5 win in the decisive set to advance to the final.
On the opposite side of the bracket, the Russian pair appeared top dollar, eliminated girls’ singles winner, Xinran Sun and fellow Chinese junior Yushan Shao in straight sets.
Russia’s partnership proved too strong for Alame and Revathi, but the latter almost forced an all-or-nothing third set, but lost the second set, 6-4.
