British teen Hannah Klugman stuns tennis at French Open with help from Jack Draper and Rafael Nadal
British teen Hannah Klugman stuns tennis at French Open with help from Jack Draper and Rafael Nadal
Hannah Klugman has become the first British player to reach the French Open juniors final in almost 50 years.
Hannah Klugman of Great Britain
(Image: 2025 Tim Clayton )
Hannah Klugman has etched her name in British tennis history by reaching the French Open juniors final – the first UK player to do so in close to half a century. At 16, the Kingston-upon-Thames native carved out a hard-fought 1-6 6-3 6-3 victory over Bulgaria's Rositsa Dencheva to secure her spot in her first grand slam final.
Klugman's achievement mirrors that of Michelle Tyler, the last British junior to lift the trophy back in 1976, coinciding with Sue Barker's success in the women's tournament. Reflecting on her win, Klugman shared with BBC: "I'm just a bit shocked to be honest," adding, "I wasn't playing my best and I found it tough to get myself into the match. I felt like as soon as I did that I was in a good space and I thought I could do well if I got into the match.
"I think I've been mentally very good this week. I think I'm staying calm in big moments and also just trying to take it in.
"These moments don't happen a lot, so trying to enjoy it is a big part. My coach and physio are basically saying 'go out there and enjoy it', because you never know if you'll be in the spot again."
Looking ahead to Saturday's final against Austria's 17 year old Lilli Tagger, Klugman expressed appreciation for the guidance she's received along the way, notably from British tennis player Jack Draper and her idol, Rafael Nadal. Meeting Nadal at his academy proved inspirational, as she recounted: "It was amazing to go there and meet him. He's my idol - I love Rafa. He said some amazing things to me.", reports the Express.
The wisdom imparted by the tennis legend undoubtedly played a role in her mindset for the tournament. Klugman quoted Nadal's advice: "I struggled a bit last year and he said 'as soon as you've got the level, everything will come. So just trust it and work hard every day'."
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Hannah Klugman with Rafa Nadal
(Image: Hannah Klugman/ Instagram )
She also voiced her gratitude towards Britain's No. 1 Draper for his advice and assistance, commenting: "I struggled a little bit [last season] results-wise. I was working so hard and I felt like I was getting better, but I wasn't seeing results.
"My coach knows Jack quite well, so he set up a lunch for me, and I think he opened my perspective that everyone goes through these troubles, these issues. You don't realise it, but they are.
"[We talked about] taking a step back and taking your time and realising it's OK. His big thing is consistency, every day working hard with the right mentality and things will come, it's just a matter of time. As soon as you get that level, everything comes."
Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski have successfully booked their place in the men's doubles final. The dynamic British duo triumphed over Americans Christian Harrison and Evan King 10-7 in a nail-biting deciding-set tie-break.
Prior to this achievement, neither Skupski nor Salisbury, who forged a partnership at the beginning of the year, had ever advanced past the men's quarter-finals. They are now slated to compete against Marcel Granollers from Spain and Argentine Horacio Zeballos for the championship title.
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In the men's wheelchair singles, Alfie Hewett made a remarkable ascent to the final after securing a win over Argentinian fourth seed Gustavo Fernandez in an intense three-set match.
Second-seeded Hewett, who has claimed victory three times previously, is poised for a showdown with Japanese top seed Tokito Oda in the grand finale.
Hewett is also aiming for a spectacular seventh win in the doubles alongside compatriot Gordon Reid, facing off against Oda and the seasoned French player Stephane Houdet, aged 54.
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