Cori Gauff
It will be Florida against the world next week as the USTA announced that six of America’s top 14-and-under juniors, all from Florida including Cori “CoCo” Gauff and Alexander Bernard, will lead the U.S. in the World Junior Tennis Finals, the world’s premier 14-and-under team competition, on Aug. 7-12 in Prostejov, Czech Republic.
Each three-player boys’ and girls’ team will compete with 15 other nations from around the world, first in round-robin matches, then in a knockout bracket.
The U.S. World Junior Tennis girls’ team will be comprised of Cori Gauff (13, Delray Beach, Fla.; Coach: Gerard Loglo), Charlotte Owensby (14, Boca Raton, Fla.; Coach: Yulia Beygelzimer), and Gabriella Price (14, Boca Raton, Fla.; Coach: Rick Macci), captained by USTA National Coach Maureen Diaz.
The U.S. World Junior Tennis boys’ team will be comprised of Alexander Bernard (13, Bonita Springs, Fla.; Coach: Rene Gomez), Martin Damm (13, Bradenton, Fla.; Coaches: Ashley Hobson, Martin Damm), and Toby Kodat (14, Bradenton, Fla.; Coach: Ales Kodat), captained by USTA National Coach Jon Glover.
Gauff recently advanced to the singles and doubles semifinals at the USTA Girls’ 18s National Clay Court Championships. Price earned comparisons from renowned coach Rick Macci to past champions he has coached, including the Williams sisters. Owensby won the Girls’ 14s singles title at the prestigious Easter Bowl junior tournament in March and partnered with Gauff to win the doubles title at the 14-and-under Nike Junior International Teen Tennis tournament in January in Bolton, England.
Bernard is the No. 3-ranked player in the USTA Boys’ 14s national standings and won the Boys’ 14s singles title at the Easter Bowl in March. Kodat was the boys’ singles champion at Nike Teen Tennis, defeating Damm in the all-American final. Kodat is rated by TennisRecruiting.net as its No. 2 rising freshman in the country, while Bernard and Damm are rated Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, in the Class of 2022. Damm is the son of former ATP pro and Grand Slam doubles winner Martin Damm.
The U.S. girls finished second and the boys third at last year’s World Junior Tennis Finals. The U.S. has won six World Junior Tennis girls’ titles (1992, 2007-10, 2013) and four World Junior Tennis boys’ titles (2002-03, 2008, 2012). Former U.S. junior international team members include Jim Courier, Andy Roddick, James Blake, Lindsay Davenport, and Sloane Stephens. Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic also have represented their respective countries in the junior international team competition.
For more info go to www.usta.com/news.
