By Ahmed Abdelsalam
British teenager Mika Stojsavljevic, 17, claimed her first WTA Tour main-draw victory at the Hong Kong Open on Monday, defeating former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 despite only learning she would play an hour before the match.
Lucky Loser Seizes Opportunity
Stojsavljevic, ranked 411th in the world, had lost in qualifying but entered the main draw as a lucky loser. Kenin, 27, is ranked 224 places above the Briton and won the Melbourne title in 2020 but has struggled since. Stojsavljevic hit six winners to Kenin's zero and saved three of the eight break points she faced.
Stojsavljevic's Rapid Rise
"I only knew an hour before I was going to be playing. I kind of just went out and swung today," Stojsavljevic said. "I know she's a Grand Slam champion and it was never going to be an easy match, but I believed in myself and it worked out." The win marks her second significant upset this year after beating then-world No. 56 Talia Gibson at Billie Jean King Cup qualifying in April. Stojsavljevic started tennis at age seven at Ealing Lawn Tennis Club in north-west London, won the US Open junior title in 2024, reached a career-high junior ranking of fifth, and turned professional in 2025. Earlier this year she reached the quarter-finals of the WTA 125 event in Birmingham.
Next Challenge in Hong Kong
Stojsavljevic will face world No. 67 Zeynep Sonmez in the second round.
