US Open 2024: British teenager Mika Stojsavljevic reaches junior final in New York

Teenager Mika Stojsavljevic underlined her potential by becoming only the fifth British youngster to reach the US Open junior final.

The 15-year-old Londoner won 6-0 3-6 6-3 in her girls’ semi-final against American third seed Iva Jovic on Friday.

“It was a difficult match but I pulled through in the end and I believed in myself, which pushed me over the line,” Stojsavljevic told BBC Sport.

Stojsavljevic could have been involved in an all-British final against 16-year-old Mimi Xu, with whom she reached the Wimbledon girls’ doubles final in July.

But eighth seed Xu, from Wales, lost 6-4 6-4 to Japanese seventh seed Wakana Sonobe in the other semi-final.

Stojsavljevic is the first British girl to make the New York final since Heather Watson’s victory there in 2009.

“I’m trying not to think about it too much – one match at a time,” said Stojsavljevic.

“Tournaments are really long. You’ve got to take it day by day. You can’t think too far ahead otherwise you get mixed up in it all.”

Stojsavljevic started playing tennis around the age of five at Ealing Lawn Tennis Club in north west London.

“My brother was having a tennis lesson,” the teenager explained.

“He put the racket down, I picked it up, the coach said ‘she should try to hit a few balls’.

“I hit them pretty good so she said we can give her a few lessons, so it started from there.”

Andy Murray won in 2004 before Oliver Golding beat compatriot Liam Broady in the 2011 boys final.

Scottish teenager Charlie Robertson, who has been mentored by former world number one Murray, could not emulate their achievement after losing in the boys’ singles semi-finals.

The 17-year-old was beaten 6-3 6-3 by Norwegian top seed Nicolai Budkov Kjaer.