If there are no Russians left in the adult women’s draw of Wimbledon 2023, then in the junior standings there is someone to cheer for. Alina Korneeva, a 16-year-old Muscovite who can set a unique achievement, continues her path to the title.

It remains only to win twice!

Wants to win

Korneeva has already reached the semi-finals of the junior Wimbledon, where she will play with Nikola Bartunkova from the Czech Republic. Alina, seeded at the tournament under the first number, gave only one set in the previous four matches – the Czech Vendula Valdmannova lost to the Russian in the second round in three games.

Alina Korneeva / Photo: © Andrew Matthews – PA Images / Contributor / PA Images / Gettyimages.ru

For Korneeva, this is the debut Wimbledon, so her performance can already be considered successful. But Alina herself clearly does not agree with this statement – she wants to win further. Moreover, it doesn’t matter to her who to beat: Bartunkova, the American Clairvi Ngunu or the Slovak Renata Yamrikhova – all of them are within the power of Korneeva.

Two triumphs in a row

This year, Korneeva has already played twice in the junior Grand Slam tournaments. And both times became the champion!

It all started in Australia, where Alina made her debut at a tournament of this level. In the hardest three-set final, she broke the resistance of compatriot Mirra Andreeva. The match was remembered not only by the bright struggle, but also by the sincere tears of Mirra, who could not restrain her emotions right on the court. That victory for Russian junior tennis was the first since 2016, when Anastasia Potapova took the title at Wimbledon.

Alina Korneeva / Photo: © Robert Prange / Contributor / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

After the triumph on the Green Continent, Korneeva successfully performed at the adult hard tournament ITF 60 in South Africa. Nevertheless, she went to Roland Garros to play in the junior grid. The second entry to the Grand Slam title turned out to be as successful as the first: Alina reached the final, where she was stronger than Lusiana Perez-Alarcon from Peru.

In the ITF junior ranking among girls, Korneeva confidently holds the lead. Of course, the first seeding at Wimbledon was provided to her. And so far she confirms it, striving to take the third Grand Slam tournament in one season.

Three times in one season

If Korneeva reaches the Wimbledon final and wins there, she will set a unique achievement. Previously, no one managed to take the first three junior Grand Slam tournaments of the year one after another.

The last two tennis players in a season before Korneeva were Belinda Bencic of Switzerland and Ana Konyukh of Croatia in 2013. Then the two of them won all the junior TSHs: Bencic – Roland Garros and Wimbledon, Konyukh – the Australian and US Opens.

If we talk about the first two victories of the season, then they were won by Magdalena Maleeva, the youngest of the three Bulgarian tennis sisters. In 1990, she alternately took the Australian Open and Roland Garros, stumbled in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, but then won the US Open.

Magdalena Maleeva / Photo: © Dimitri Iundt / Contributor / Corbis Sport / Gettyimages.com

By the way, Maleeva is not the only tennis player who has three junior titles in one season. In 1987, the Soviet athlete Natalya Zvereva won every Grand Slam except the Australian one. Korneeva can join these legends if she wins in London.

Difficult choice

Whether Alina will go for the calendar junior Slam is a question. Previously, she claimed that she wanted to try her luck in the adult qualification of the US Open, and she would only show up to her peers if she was eliminated. Given the rapidly growing level of Korneeva, the selection in New York may seem like a cakewalk for her.

But for the sake of it, you will have to sacrifice a unique achievement. Among the girls, no one ever took a calendar helmet. Alina has a real chance – if, of course, she becomes the champion of Wimbledon. Is it worth it?