Fort Lauderdale FL–
Spectators had to choose which of the six 9am finals to watch at the newly renovated Jimmy Evert Tennis Center at Holiday Park, with the threat of rain compressing a week’s effort into a few hours.
No. 11 seed Boogaard and No. 2 seed Jack Kennedy received the order from Chris Evert, and the hundred or so spectators were definitely in the American’s corner, but they could not help the New Yorker as his serve and forehand started to click after a ragged first six games of the match.
Boogaard held at love, then allowed Kennedy just one point in his service game to take a 5-3 lead and was able to pull an error from Kennedy at 40-30 to take the first set.
Kennedy led 2-0 in the second set, but Boogaard got the break back for 2-1 and accelerated again midway through the set, winning the last four games and joining fellow countryman Paul Dogger, the 1987 ’16s champion, on the list of Orange Bowl champions.
For Boogaard, who had struggled with his fitness in the months following a lengthy battle with glandular fever, his victory today was not only his biggest junior title, but also an indication that he was physically ready for a prolonged run against the best juniors in the world.
“It was a tough match today,” said the 17-year-old, who lost in the semifinals at the ITF J300 in Bradenton last week but did not drop a set this week as he felt more comfortable on the green clay. “Jack is an incredible player and he stands behind every ball and fights for it as if it is his last point. So it was very tough today because of the conditions, but I think I did well. I was very happy with my level today, and to win this tournament is an even better feeling.”
Kennedy did not mince words in his assessment of his level in the final.
“He just went for his shots a little more than I did,” said the 17-year-old, whose only junior event since the US Open was the ITF World Junior Final in Chengu in October. “He played a little freer, played more to win. He deserves this title, 100 percent, was the better one today, but I’m looking forward to playing a few games against him next year.”
This is Boogaard’s first December trip to Florida since reaching the quarterfinals of the Junior Orange Bowl 14s in 2021.
“It was a great experience for me,” said Boogaard, who trains with his old coach Bjorn Graven at the Mouratoglou Academy in France. “It’s such a prestigious tournament, so if you can play it it’s incredible. To win it now is a great feeling.”
Kennedy echoed Boogaard’s appreciation for the Orange Bowl.
“I think the Orange Bowl is a tournament where you have to give every point your best,” said Kennedy, who reached the Junior Orange Bowl 14s final in 2022 and the semifinals here last year. “You know you’re playing against the best juniors in the world because they want to win this tournament because it’s so prestigious. For Americans, it’s even more special, with the home field advantage. The Orange Bowl has always had a special place in my heart; this may be my last year playing it, but we’ll see what the future holds.”
Kennedy has secured the coveted ITF Top 10 junior rankings at the end of the year, giving him 10 main draw Challenger wildcards in 2026, so his schedule will not include the Australian Open Junior Championships, where he reached the quarter-finals last year.
Boogaard will also skip the Australian Open juniors, where he played in 2024, so that he can participate in the ATP 500 in Rotterdam at the beginning of February, where he took part in qualifying twice.
“I will play some professional tournaments in January and then in Rotterdam,” said Boogaard. “It’s one of the biggest tournaments in the Netherlands, in one of my favorite cities in the world. I’ve been going there since I was young, and to be able to play it now is incredible.”
Boogaard avenged his 2025 Roland Garros second-round loss to Kennedy today, but Xinran Sun had even more motivation as she faced Kristina Liutova in the girls’ final, played on Court 11.
Sun lost to Liutova in the semi-finals of the ITF J300 in College Park in August 2-6, 6-2, 6-0 and last week in the quarter-finals of the ITF J300 in Bradenton 6-1, 7-6(10), after leading 5-1 in the second set, so her routine 6-4, 6-1 win over her fellow 15-year-old was particularly satisfying.
In the opening set, Sun won a three-deuce match to break Liutova for a 5–3 lead, but could not serve out the set. She took her chance in her next return match, but Liutova committed an unforced backhand error at 15-40. Wary of another comeback from Liutova, Sun kept her focus, and with her backhand almost invincible she quickly built a 5-0 lead. Liutova eventually held on to force Sun to serve out the match, which she did confidently on her first match point.
“I was so ready,” Sun said of her motivation to face Liutova again. “Before the match we talk about the tactics and we will be so ready to play against Kristina.”
Sun, who did not lose a set in her six wins this week, said her level was improving every day.
“Especially this week I played tennis and I feel really good,” Sun said. “One day I had two matches, it was very tough, but every time I gave 100 percent. I feel okay, but just so tired, but now of course I can rest.”
Sun, who has been training in Serbia since she was eight, was coached there by Goran Zivotic for the past two years.
“It’s been such a good journey so far,” said the 23-year-old from Serbia. “Last year she won an ITF J60 and this year she wins the Orange Bowl and we are very proud of that. I must say it is well deserved. She is a very hard worker.”
Zivotic said the two previous losses to Liutova provided both motivation and instruction.
“We made small changes in tactics, but she stuck to the plan, that was the most important thing,” Zivotic said. “I think she reached a higher level in the semi-finals and finals than maybe the first two or three matches, but that’s usually how it is with her. We came to this tournament prepared, came back from Egypt, where she won two professional titles, which was a great success for us as well.”
Sun, who joins last year’s 16s champion Xiaotong Wang as Orange Bowl winners from China, returns to Belgrade for a few days’ rest before starting her preparations for the Australian Open Junior Championships.
The unseeded Liutova, who won the 2022 Junior Orange Bowl 12s title, fought back tears as last week’s Bradenton champion tried to gather her thoughts about the end of her 11-match winning streak over the past two weeks in Florida.
“She had a great level, much higher than mine. I have nothing to complain about,” said the Russian-born Washington state resident, who trains at Seattle’s Gorin Academy. “She deserved the win. Second place is always difficult.”
In her post-match comments, Liutova was generous in her praise for Sun, thanking the tournament organizers, the ball runners, her Academy and her mother Elena, taking time to compose herself as tears flowed.
“I am proud of our work and I am very grateful for everything that helps me improve,” said Liutova. “It’s hard to end the year this way, but I will come back stronger, I promise.”
The doubles championships were also decided in straight sets, with No. 6 seeds Yannik Alvarez of Puerto Rico and Ziga Sesko of Slovenia defeating the unseeded U.S. team of Marcel Latak and Tanishk Konduri 6-3, 6-3.
“We showed a good level throughout the tournament and combined our matches really well,” said Sesko. “We’re having fun on the field, with good energy, so good things are happening.”
Alvarez and Sesko first teamed up in Bradenton, where they reached the final, with their status as teammates on the ITF Grand Slam Development Touring Team a key to their duo.
“We were in Mexico with the team and our coach suggested we could play well together,” Sesko said. “So we decided to try it at Eddie Herr and it ended well. Finals at Eddie Herr and now, nine out of 10, that’s a pretty solid streak.”
Alvarez is now a two-time Orange Bowl doubles champion, having hoisted the crystal bowl of oranges from the winners in the 16s division in 2023 with Ryan Cozad.
Both Alvarez and Sesko will travel to Melbourne with the ITF Touring Team for the Australian Open next month, but will not play each other there.
The ITF Touring Team took another doubles title in the girls’ final, with Anastasija Cvetkovic traveling with the group for this North American clay swing. Cvetkovic and partner Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi of India, the No. 3 seeds, defeated No. 8 seeds Alyssa James of Jamaica and Annika Penickova of the United States 7-5, 6-1.
Cvetkovic had played in both finals at the J300 in Bradenton and reached the doubles final with another partner, but after those 11 matches and 10 more this week, Rajeshwaran Revathi said she would have understood if Cvetkovic had withdrawn after her three-set loss to Liutova on Saturday.
“Because she came far last week and this week, I knew she was physically dead,” said the 16-year-old, who trains at the Nadal Academy. “I told my mom, if she decides to retire, I would really support the decision because she deserves it, but I’m really glad she went through with it.”
When they first played together, the pair didn’t overwhelm their opponents, needing match tiebreakers for three of their wins, but they meshed well together.
“Today was our best match,” said 17-year-old Cvetkovic, who had her right thigh heavily wrapped for the final. “We’re playing so well, so aggressively. We knew what we had to do and we tried to do it and it’s all good, I’m proud of it.”
The ITF World Junior Wheelchair Singles Championship finals were also played this morning, with Charlie Cooper beating Tomas Majetic 6-2, 7-5 in the boys’ all-US final among unseeded players.
The girls’ champion is top seed Luna Gryp of Belgium, who defeated Seira Matsuoka of Japan 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(2) in the final.
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