British teenager Mika Stojsavljevic beat former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin to claim her first WTA Tour main-draw win despite only receiving an hour’s notice before the match.
Lucky Loser Victory in Hong Kong
The 17-year-old entered the tournament’s main draw as a lucky loser after suffering a defeat in the qualifying rounds for the Hong Kong Open. Ranked 411th in the world, Stojsavljevic secured the victory by winning a tight deciding set against the American, closing out the match with a 6-3 4-6 6-4 scoreline.
Reflecting on the sudden change of plans, Stojsavljevic told BBC Sport that she only found out she was playing an hour beforehand and decided to simply step on the court and swing freely. She acknowledged Kenin’s status as a Grand Slam champion while noting that self-belief helped her through the difficult encounter.
Kenin, 27, holds a ranking 224 places higher than the Briton, though she has faced struggles following her 2020 Melbourne title victory. During the match, Stojsavljevic recorded six winners to her opponent’s zero and successfully saved three out of eight break points.
Rising Career and Next Challenge
This success marks the second significant win of the year for Stojsavljevic, who previously defeated then-world number 56 Talia Gibson during Billie Jean King Cup qualifying in April. She began playing tennis at the age of seven at Ealing Lawn Tennis Club in north-west London after watching her brother practice.
In 2024, she made history as the first Briton in 15 years to capture the US Open junior title, subsequently reaching fifth in the junior world rankings before turning professional in 2025. Earlier this year, she also advanced to the quarter-finals of a WTA 125 event in Birmingham.
Stojsavljevic will advance to the second round in Hong Kong to face world number 67 Zeynep Sonmez.
