SHE may not quite have the same reputation already as some of the WTA Tour players on our list of WTA teenage stars, but while France’s Elsa Jacquemot may lack WTA experience, she has a winning mentality on the ITF Tour that knows no bounds. With seven junior ITF titles to her name dating back to 2017, including a come-from-behind Junior Roland Garros title last month, Jacquemot has proved to be a tough competitor and real fighter on tour.
Still only 17-years-old and sitting pretty at number one on the ITF Junior Rankings following her Junior Roland Garros win against Russian Alina Charaeva, there is no doubt the youngster’s ability is downplayed by her low ranking on the WTA Tour, currently ranked 534th on the WTA rankings – but purely due to her lack of experience on that circuit, with just four matches under her belt across her career, and three as a wildcard across both the 2019 and 2020 WTA Tour Roland Garros.
While Jacquemot’s focus has mostly been on the ITF Tour, it seems to have worked in her favour with the Junior Roland Garros title propelling her into the spotlight, seeing her become the first French girl to win a Junior Grand Slam since now-27-year-old Kristina Mladenovic in 2009.
“It’s just amazing. I don’t think I have realised what I have achieved yet,” she said. “I am super happy and want to savour this moment.
“This win is a bonus for the future and hopefully winning here will help me, but the road is long and there is a long way to go in my career. For the moment, I will continue to savour it… There are a lot of emotions and stress when playing a Junior Grand Slam final and it goes very quickly. There were times I needed to breathe and work out how to be more aggressive.
“In the end, all was fine and it’s incredible. Winning here and being the first French girl to do so since 2009, that makes me very happy.”
A proven clay court talent with 11 wins from 11 ITF clay court matches, Jacquemot’s tenacity and fighting mentality make her a tough battle any day, and will be a real force to be reckoned with when she formally joins the WTA Tour circuit.
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