The US Open is not just the final major of the year for the pros, it is also one of the final big events on the junior tennis calendar. This trip to Flushing Meadows was notable for Canada, as it boasted the largest contingent of Canucks in a Junior Grand Slam main draw in 2026.
Here is the monthly junior tennis update presented by Har-Tru.
Four Canadians featured in the main draws of the US Open junior events, including three making their Grand Slam debuts. All three debutants, two of whom came through qualifying, won their first-ever major match.
Benjamin Azar was the lone Canadian boy in the main draws, winning back-to-back match tiebreaks in his two qualifying matches to reach his first Junior Grand Slam singles main draw. He then defeated Francisco Fontes Damorim of Brazil in three sets for his maiden major match win before falling in round two to fifth seed Jack Kennedy of the USA.
Avery Alexander. Photo : Martin Sidorjak
In doubles, Azar and Romanian partner Matei Victor Chelemen beat the Colombian-American duo of Juan Miguel Bolivar Idarraga and Andrew Johnson in straight sets before falling to the American team of Vihaan Reddy and Mason Vaughn in the second round.
On the girls side, Avery Alexander was victorious in her Junior Grand Slam debut as well, edging out Marija Lauva of Latvia in a third-set tiebreak to reach the second round. Like Azar, she also lost to a highly-seeded American, No. 6 Janae Preston, in the second round, although her match went three sets.
Read also: Qinwen Zheng’s Resurgence at the 2026 US Open
Clémence Mercier joined Alexander in the second round. She had to come through qualifying and then won her debut major main-draw match in three sets over American Anita Tu. Mercier lost in round two to No. 7 seed Mariia Makarova.
Nadia Lagaev, Canada’s top-ranked junior, lost in the first round of singles to Ekaterina Dostenko.
Clémence Mercier. Photo : Martin Sidorjak
Doubles was less kind to the Canadian girls, as both Lagaev and Alexander lost in the first round with their respective partners.
Four Canadian boys competed in qualifying but only Azar made it into the main draw. Felix Roussel was the top seed but lost in the second round to Oluwaseun Ogunsakin of Nigeria. Joshua Adamson was seeded 11th but went down at the final hurdle against American Daniel Malacek. Xavier Massotte, the 13th seed, lost in the match tiebreak in round one against Izyan Ahman of the United States.
On the Home Front
August was a busy month on Canadian soil for the juniors.
The first three Fischer Outdoor Junior Nationals took place in late July and early August. The fourth and final event, the U14 Fischer Outdoor Junior Nationals, was held later in the month in Laval, QC. CLICK HERE for the full U14 recap.
Canada’s largest World Tennis junior event, the J300 Internationaux Junior Banque Nationale de Repentigny, took place last week. Daniella Britton of Great Britain and Marcel Latak of the United States won the singles titles.
Andrea Cabio of Milton, ON, reached the doubles final but was forced to withdraw with an injury suffered in the singles semifinals.
CLICK HERE for the full Repentigny recap.
Here are the Canadian finalists from WT Junior Tour events outside of Canada over the last month (titles in bold):
- Isabella Ruyu Yan: J100 Rakovnik 1 girls singles champion, J100 Rakovnik 2 girls singles champion
- Antoine Généreux: J100 Chestertown boys doubles champion (w/ Bote), J100 Chestertown boys singles runner-up
- Ava Sanicharan: J60 Tacarigua girls singles champion, J60 Tacarigua girls doubles runner-up (w/ Rabinovich)
- Felix Roussel: J300 College Park boys singles champion
- Rafael Bote: J100 Chestertown boys doubles champion (w/ Généreux)
- Milagros Helena Pastuszka: J100 Barcelona girls singles champion
- Elisabeth Djabourian: J100 Chestertown girls doubles champion
- Filip Malis: J100 Vic boys singles runner-up, J100 Vic boys doubles runner-up
- Jasmine Li: J60 Shenzhen girls singles runner-up
- Veronica Rabinovich: J60 Tacarigua girls doubles runner-up (w/ Sanicharan)
- Alexander Stefanov: J60 Tacarigua boys doubles runner-up
- Emma Ciobanu: J30 Tegucigalpa girls doubles runner-up
Rankings Update
Fresh off a J300 title in College Park, Maryland, the biggest title of his junior career so far, Felix Roussel finds himself as the Canadian No. 1 in the World Tennis boys rankings at No. 48. The 18-year-old hit his career-high ranking of No. 46 on Aug. 31.
He is joined in the Top 100 by Benjamin Azar (No. 59), Joshua Adamson (No. 71), and Xavier Massotte (No. 72).
Nadia Lagaev (No. 44) and Avery Alexander (No. 62) are the only Canadian girls in the Top 100, but a number of Canucks are closing in. After winning back-to-back J100 titles, Isabella Ruyu Yan is up to No. 115. Clémence Mercier climbed to a new career-high of No. 121 after the US Open. Andrea Cabio jumped 38 spots following her semifinal run at home in Repentigny and is up to No. 131.
Check out the full ITF junior rankings here.
The Davis Cup is coming to Quebec City September 18 and 19 as Team Canada hosts France in the Davis Cup Qualifiers Second Round. Tickets are on sale now. CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR TICKETS!
Feature Photo : Martin Sidorjak
