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Over the weekend, IMG Academy became home to the No. 1-ranked junior boy and the No. 2-ranked junior girl tennis players in the world.
Miomir Kecmanovic, an IMG Academy alum and current trainee, has been working his way to the top since he arrived at IMG Academy as a thirteen-year-old in 2013. Rohan Goetzke, Director of Tennis at IMG, said, “Misha [Miomir] came to IMG with no ITF ranking and already showed great work ethic and dedication.”
After taking home the championship trophy at the 2015 Orange Bowl, Kecmanovic surged to the top of the rankings. He spent the following year securing his place at the top, sweeping the 2016 Eddie Herr and Orange Bowl tournaments in December, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since 2011. In 2017, Kecmanovic turned professional.
Goetzke said, “His first goal was to be the number one junior and now he is working his way to the top of ATP.”
Kecmanovic went into his professional career ranked No. 659 on the ATP Tour. Through his continued daily training at IMG Academy and competition at futures tournaments, he is working on improving his ranking. Kecmanovic has already jumped 268 spots to the No. 391-ranked player on the ATP Tour.
In his last competition, Kecmanovic had a great run, making it to the semi-final round at the 2017 French Open.
IMG Academy girls tennis student-athlete, Whitney Osuigwe, came to the academy when she was just five years old. Her siblings, DeAndre and Victoria, are both enrolled in IMG’s boarding school program as well, and her father, Desmond, has been a tennis coach for the program since 1997. Desmond coaches his daughter at the academy, among other elite players, and was a professional player in his earlier years.
Over the past 10 years, Osuigwe worked her way to the top of the junior girls rankings, training and competing with determination. Margie Zesinger, Head of Girls Tennis at IMG Academy, said, "Whitney has been training in the groups here since she was five years old. She was and still is always willing to compete in practice. This has given her the competitive edge and developed her ability to compete at her best in big moments".
This hard work and commitment to being the best paid off for the 15-year-old this past weekend at Rolland Garros. Osuigwe went into the tournament ranked fifth in the world, behind her finals opponent, 17-year-old Claire Liu from California. The last time two American junior girls reached the final at the French Open was in 1980. Osuigwe defeated Liu 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3 in the second ever all-American final at Roland Garros, bumping her up to the No. 2-ranked junior girl in the world.
After the win, Osuigwe said, “This was a goal of mine and it's accomplished. On to the next one!”
Osuigwe is the ninth-youngest girls and only the fifth American girl to ever win the French Open.
Nick Bollettieri, President and Founder of the IMG Academy Bollettieri Tennis program, said, “I'm incredibly proud of Whitney as well as her father Desmond and the IMG Academy staff who have instructed, guided, encouraged, motivated, and mentored this wonderful young lady.”
After the championship win at Rolland Garros, Osuigwe turned professional. She said, “It’s a decision I have made. I have been doing well this year, I think it was the right one.”
For more information on IMG Academy’s world-renowned tennis program, click here.
Have dreams of winning the Juniors French Open like Whitney? Click here!
