The 2026 U18 Fischer Outdoor Junior Nationals in Toronto had some familiar players in the winner’s circles. Three of the four draws featured a defending champion.
Andy Tchinda Kepche took the boys’ singles trophy for the second-straight year. The Quebecker sealed each of his opening three matches in a second-set tiebreaker before an Antoine Généreux retirement sent Tchinda Kepche through to his third-straight National final, reaching the title match at the Indoor Championships in April.
Tchinda Kepche started strong in the final against Judah Mceachern-Brown but was handed a bagel in the second. Undeterred, the NTC Class of 2025-26 member clinched the title in the decider, taking the match 6-1, 0-6, 6-4.
In doubles, top seeds Luke Laughlin and Brayden William Woo began the event with back-to-back 7-6, 6-1 victories. The all-Ontarian duo then came back from a set down to defeat second seeds Ilya Sherifali and Evan Shuai Xie in the final. Laughlin earned his second-consecutive U18 Outdoor doubles title, but first with Woo.
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The girls’ doubles draw had the same outcome as Sophie Michelle Dement defended her girls’ doubles title, with a different partner. She and fellow Ontarian Andrea Taylor remained perfect on their way to the winner’s circle, beating Ava Mya Sanicharan and Elle Helen-Marie Tucci in straight sets.
The only draw with a new champion was in girls’ singles. Noelle Yuxuan Dai went on an impressive run, dropping just ten games in her first two matches.
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The Ontarian later took down No. 2 seed Dement in the quarters and conceded only three games to Elisabeth Djabourian to reach the final. Dai recovered well after losing the opening set to Payton Charley Dith in the title match, eventually securing the title 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 – her maiden National title.
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Feature Photo: Pascal Ratthe
