Day 6 at the 2025 U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows put a spotlight on a different kind of tennis story—the long road through the ITF World Tennis Tour and how it can plant the seeds for breakout moments on the big stages.
The real storyline, as many players pointed out in the lead-up, is not just about surprise runs at a major, but about what happens on the loop below the WTA Tour. The ITF World Tennis Tour is the lowest rung of professional tennis, a grind of tournaments that offer modest prize money and fewer ranking points, but it’s where many players learn to win, develop grit, and build the confidence that can carry them to bigger stages.
In Paris, Loïs Boisson, the French wild card, flashed a fairytale-like ascent by advancing to the semifinals a year after a serious knee injury threatened her season. In Montreal, Victoria Mboko, the Canadian wildcard, followed a remarkable run that included defeating four Grand Slam champions on her way to a top-30 rise. Both now find themselves out of the U.S. Open, but their journeys underscore a broader pattern: success can begin on the ITF circuit and translate into real opportunities at higher levels.
Another rising name is Janice Tjen, a 23-year-old Indonesian who spent time at Pepperdine University. She came through qualifying and then upset Veronika Kudermetova, the No. 24 seed, in her first main-draw Grand Slam match. It’s a testament to how persistent grind can lead to breakthrough results. Tjen’s path has been defined by a blistering, heavy forehand that finishes with an aggressive backhand slice, a style honed by watching and learning from the game’s greats and by countless hours on the ITF tour.
Tjen’s team emphasizes constant evolution off the court as well. Her coach, Chris Bint, who quit his job with New Zealand Tennis to coach her full time, has stitched together a support network that includes nutrition and sleep optimization and a physio from Indonesia, plus a Pepperdine fitness trainer. The idea is simple: treat each match as a step in a long ladder, not as a one-off test. Bint’s mantra, “The ball doesn’t care,” captures the mindset he’s trying to instill: the outcome on any given shot depends on execution, not status.
Former pros also weigh in. Jim Courier, now a Tennis Channel analyst, cautioned that “winning is winning, at any level,” while Brad Gilbert, a Pepperdine alumnus who has coached some of the game’s greats, suggested that accumulating wins at any level can breed the confidence to handle big-stage pressure. It’s a reminder that the deep, competitive field in women’s tennis is not a footnote; it’s the engine that keeps producing players who can rise quickly when given an opportunity.
Jóvić, an American teen who’s drawn attention for her ITF and early WTA results, echoes the same sentiment: the real work is in the daily grind—more matches, more discipline, and a readiness to close out contests when the moment arrives.
The broader takeaway is hopeful: there is a durable pipeline beneath the sport’s marquee events, and it’s producing players who are learning to win, match after match, in a way that makes the jump to the WTA Tour feel less like an extraordinary leap and more like a natural progression.
What to watch next
– Janice Tjen continues to ride the momentum from her Kudermetova win and will be tested by the next-round opponent(s) as she refines her game on the biggest stage she’s yet faced.
– Boisson and Mboko’s continued development and potential returns to Grand Slams will be closely watched as they balance high-level results with ongoing ITF duties.
– Emma Raducanu remains a compelling counterpoint, a former Grand Slam champion whose own progress can influence how young players perceive their own pathways.
A few practical takeaways for readers
– The ITF circuit remains a critical training ground, not a detour. Players are building match toughness, consistency, and mental resilience that pay dividends later.
– The support teams around young players—nutrition, sleep, specialized coaching, and even the culture created in the locker room—matter as much as technique.
– College tennis routes, like Tjen’s Pepperdine experience, can be powerful accelerators, linking junior development to professional opportunities.
In a sport where the brightest lights can wash out the long, hard climb, this U.S. Open chapter reinforces a hopeful message: the most durable stars are often molded in the most demanding backstreets of the tour, where persistence, smart coaching, and a bit of luck intersect to create breakthroughs that redefine the game.