Australian Open Junior Champions: Where are they now?

2006:

Boys’ Singles Champion: Alexandre Sidorenko

Girls’ Singles Champion: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

Alexandre who? Yup, I don’t know either. Sidorenko is a prime example of a player who found the going too tough once it got to ‘the real deal’. He has played only three major singles tournaments at professional level, the last of them being 5 years ago in 2008. With a career high singles ranking of 145, and a current ranking of 366, it is safe to say he has disappeared into tennis oblivion.

The girls singles winner that year, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is still one of the young players who has the potential to make it big. Having captured 5 singles and 4 doubles titles, the multiple Junior Grand Slam champion has also reached the quarterfinal stage of two grand slams in 2011, the year which also saw her attain her career high ranking of No.13. With Martina Hingis in her coaching team, things look bright for the Russian.

2007:

Boys’ Singles Champion: Brydan Klein

Girls’ Singles Champion: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

The 2007 winner, Brydan Klein is better known, if at all, for his six month ban back in 2009, for racially insulting his South African opponent, Raven Klaasen at a tournament in England. He is yet to compete regularly on the ATP tour, and at the age of 24, finds himself running out of time. A history of bad behaviour on-court prompted Tennis Australia to withdraw support to him in 2012, prompting him to switch allegiance to Great Britain, the country of his mother’s birth. A highest ranking of No.174 achieved four years ago is the best this Australian-British tennis player has to show.