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The 17-year-old British player defeated former Grand Slam champion Sofia Kenin in three sets after entering the main draw as a lucky loser.
British teenager Mika Stojsavljevic secured her first WTA Tour main-draw victory on Wednesday at the 2026 Hong Kong Open, defeating former Grand Slam champion Sofia Kenin in three sets.
Stojsavljevic, ranked 411th, won the match 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in a contest that lasted two hours and 19 minutes. The match featured 11 service breaks. Stojsavljevic took an early lead, winning the first set 6-3 and building a 3-0 lead in the second set before Kenin fought back. In the deciding set, Stojsavljevic surged to a 4-1 lead, and although Kenin narrowed the gap with a late break, the Briton secured the win on her second match point.
Stojsavljevic entered the main draw as a lucky loser after losing in the final round of qualifying. She received the opportunity after Canadian Leylah Fernandez withdrew from the main draw due to a left shoulder injury. Stojsavljevic reported that she only learned she was playing one hour before the match began.
"I think it was a good match. Obviously I was coming in as a lucky loser, I only knew an hour before that I was going to be playing. I kind of just went out and swung today," Stojsavljevic said. "We didn't have much time to prepare. Obviously I know she's a grand slam champion so it was never going to be an easy match but I believed in myself and it worked out."
Stojsavljevic is a 17-year-old from London who turned professional in 2025. Her career highlights include being the 2024 junior US Open champion, making her the first Briton in 15 years to win that title. She has previously reached a high of fifth in the junior world rankings and reached the quarter-finals of the WTA 125 event in Birmingham earlier this year. Her 2026 season also includes a Billie Jean King Cup debut win, where she defeated then world number 56 Talia Gibson in April.
Sofia Kenin, 27, won her only major title at the Australian Open in 2020. At the time of the match, Kenin was ranked 224 places higher than Stojsavljevic on the WTA Tour.
Following this victory, Stojsavljevic is scheduled to face Turkey's Zeynep Sonmez, who is ranked world No. 67, in the second round.
In other action at the tournament, eighth seed and British No. 1 Katie Boulter lost in straight sets to Claire Liu. Liu won the match 7-5, 6-4 in one hour and 47 minutes. Liu will advance to the third round to play the winner of the match between Stojsavljevic and Sonmez.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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