| SAN DIEGO’S ALYSSA AHN CAPTURES GIRLS’ 18s SINGLES TITLE AT USTA BILLIE JEAN KING GIRLS’ NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS AT BARNES TENNIS CENTER Second-seeded Thea Frodin and Kristina Penickova Win Girls’ 18s Doubles Title SAN DIEGO – (August 10, 2025) – There is no place like home. San Diego’s Alyssa Ahn proved that point on Sunday as the seventh-seeded Ahn, who trains year-round at Barnes Tennis Center, defeated 17th seeded Maya Iyengar of Paradise Valley, Ariz., 6-1, 6-2 in 65 minutes to win the singles title at the USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 18s National Championships. Playing before a large crowd on Stadium Court at Barnes Tennis Center, Ahn set the tempo of the match early in the opening set as she lost only three points in the first three games for a 3-0 lead. Later with Ahn leading 5-0, Iyengar held serve in the sixth game to get on the scoreboard, but Ahn came back with a strong service game to serve out the first set. Ahn continued her high level of play as she dominated Iyengar from the baseline and would go on to cruise to a 5-1 lead. Iyengar held serve in the seventh game, but Ahn served out the match in the next game to the delight of the standing-room only crowd. The 18-year-old Ahn, who won the Girls’ 16s singles title in 2022, receives a wild card into the main draw of the upcoming US Open in New York. “It feels incredible. It hasn’t really hasn’t sunk in yet. It’s super exciting, not only to get the wild card into the US Open, which is a huge accomplishment for me, but just winning the tournament is really awesome. I’m super grateful to in this position,” Ahn said after being awarded her USTA gold ball for winning the national championship. Ahn also spoke about her “home court advantage” and playing in front of friends and family members. “It was a huge factor to have the home crowd which helped so much. It gives me so much encouragement. I’m really comfortable here. I know these courts like the back of my hand because I train here every day,” Ahn said. “Making the same drive every morning and being able to sleep in my own bed, these factors may seem minor, but at the end of the day, they really helped me this year.” Earlier in the day, fifth-seeded Alexis Nguyen of El Dorado Hills, Calif., won the Girls’ 18s Third-Place match as she defeated second-seeded Julieta Pareja Carlsbad, Calif., 7-5, 6-3 in two-hours and five-minutes on Court No. 10. Nguyen was awarded a USTA bronze ball for her victory. In the final match of the tournament, the second-seeded team of Thea Frodin of Woodland Hills, Calif., and Kristina Penickova of Campbell, Calif., overcame a 5-1 second-set deficit to score a thrilling 6-4, 7-5 victory on Stadium Court over unseeded Aya Manning of Irving, Texas, and Catherine Rennard of Asheville, N.C. Frodin and Penickova each received a USTA gold ball for winning the national title and were awarded a wild card into the 2025 US Open Doubles Main Draw. To view final singles and doubles draws for each age division, click here.About USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 16s and 18s National Championships – The USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 16s and 18s National Championships are the premiere hard court tennis tournaments for amateur and professional American girls aged 16 and 18 and under in the United States. Tournament participants, who represent nearly every state in the United States, have been endorsed by their respective USTA Section or have received USTA special exemptions based on their results in qualifying tournaments, junior rankings, or results on the WTA Tour or International Tennis Federation. This year marks the 107th Anniversary of this historic event.The Girls 18s singles champion will receive a wild card for direct entry into the 2025 US Open at Flushing Meadows, New York. The 18s singles runner-up will receive a wild card into the qualifying draw of the US Open. The 18s Doubles Champions will receive a wild card into the main doubles draw of the US Open and the winner of the Girls 16s Championships will receive a wild card for direct entry into the Junior US Open. About Barnes Tennis Center – Barnes Tennis Center is a three-time award-winning multi-racquet sports facility in San Diego. It was constructed between 1995 and 1997 and named after its lead donor family, the “George E. Barnes Family Junior Tennis Center.” Youth Tennis San Diego, owner and operator of Barnes Tennis Center, has brought the game of tennis right to the backyards of thousands of children and adults across San Diego. |
| USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 16s & 18s National Championships Barnes Tennis Center San Diego Sunday’s Results Girls’ 18s Singles Championship Alyssa Ahn (7), San Diego, def. Maya Iyengar (17), Paradise Valley, Ariz., 6-1 ,6 -2 Third Place Alexis Nguyen (5), El Dorado Hills, Calif., def. Julieta Pareja (2), Carlsbad, Calif., 7-5, 6-3 Doubles Championship Thea Frodin (2), Woodland Hills, Calif., and Kristina Penickova, Campbell, Calif., def. Aya Manning, Irving, Texas, and Catherine Rennard Asheville, N.C., 6-4, 7-5 |
