Boogaard Defeats Kennedy for Orange Bowl Title; Sun Turns Tables on Liutova to Earn Girls Championship

©Colette Lewis 2025--

Fort Lauderdale FL--

Thijs Boogaard of the Netherlands and Xinran Sun of China closed out a successful green clay swing in South Florida Sunday, becoming the first players from their countries to win prestigious Orange Bowl 18s titles in the tournament's 79th year.

Spectators were required to choose which of the six 9 a.m. finals to watch at the newly renovated Jimmy Evert Tennis Center at Holiday Park, with the threat of rain compressing a week's worth of effort into a few hours.

No. 11 seed Boogaard and No. 2 seed Jack Kennedy received the Chris Evert court assignment, and the hundred or so spectators were definitely in the American's corner, but they were unable to help the New Yorker when his serve and forehand began clicking after a ragged first six games of the match.

Boogaard held at love, then allowed Kennedy only one point in his service game to take a 5-3 lead and was able to draw an error from Kennedy at 40-30 to take the first set.

Kennedy went up 2-0 in the second set, but Boogaard got the break back for 2-1 and again accelerated midway through the set, winning the final four games to join 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 since a lengthy battle with mononucleosis, his win today was not only his biggest junior title, but an indication that he was physically ready for a sustained run against the top juniors in the world.

"It was a tough match today," said the 17-year-old, who lost in the semifinals last week at the ITF J300 in Bradenton but did not drop a set this week as he grew more comfortable on the green clay. "Jack is an incredible player and he gets behind every ball and he fights for it like it's his last point. So it was very tough today with the conditions, but I think I managed it 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 kind of went for his shots a bit more than I did," said the 17-year-old, whose only junior event since the US Open was October's  ITF World Junior Finals in Chengu. "He played a bit more freely, played more to win. He deserves this title, 100 percent, was the better today, but I'm looking forward to playing a couple of matches against him next year."

This is Boogaard's first Florida December trip since he reached the Junior Orange Bowl 14s quarterfinals in 2021.

"It was a great experience for me," said Boogaard, who trains with his longtime coach Bjorn Graven at the Mouratoglou Academy in France. "It's such a prestigious tournament, so if you're able to play it it's unbelievable. To win it now is a great feeling."

Kennedy echoed Boogaard's regard for the Orange Bowl.

"I think the Orange Bowl is a tournament where you've got to bring your best every point," said Kennedy, who reached the Junior Orange Bowl 14s final in 2022 and the semifinals here last year. "You know you're playing 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 court advantage. The Orange Bowl has always had a special place in my heart; this may be my last year to play it, but we'll see what the future holds."

Kennedy has secured the coveted ITF Top 10 year-end junior ranking that earns him 10 main draw Challenger wild cards in 2026, so his schedule will not include the Australian Open Junior Championships, where he reached the quarterfinals last year.

Boogaard is also skipping the Australian Open juniors, which he played in 2024, so he can participate in the ATP 500 in Rotterdam in early February, where he has twice competed in the qualifying.

"I'll play some pro tournaments in January and then Rotterdam," Boogaard said. "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 already is incredible."

Boogaard avenged his second round 2025 Roland Garros loss to Kennedy today, but Xinran Sun had even more motivation when she faced Kristina Liutova in the girls final, played on court 11.

Sun lost to Liutova in the semifinals of the ITF J300 in College Park in August 2-6, 6-2, 6-0 and last week in the quarterfinals of the ITF J300 in Bradenton 6-1, 7-6(10), after holding a 5-1 lead in the second set, so her routine 6-4, 6-1 victory over her fellow 15-year-old was especially satisfying.

In the opening set, Sun won a three-deuce game to break Liutova for a 5-3 lead, but was unable to serve out the set. She took her chance in her next return game, however with Liutova making an unforced backhand error at 15-40. Wary of another Liutova comeback, Sun kept her focus, and with her backhand close to invincible, she quickly built a 5-0 lead. Liutova finally held to force Sun to serve out the match, which she confidently did on her first match point.

"I was so ready," Sun said of her motivation in again facing Liutova. "Before the match we talk tactic and are so ready to play against Kristina."

Sun, who did not lose a set in her six victories this week, said her level improved each day.

"Especially this week, I played my tennis and I feel really good," said Sun. "One day I had two matches, it was really tough, but every time I gave one hundred percent. I'm feeling ok, but just so tired, but of course now I can rest."

Sun, who has been training in Serbia since she was eight years old, has been coached there by Goran Zivotic 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 Orange Bowl and we are extremely proud of that. I have to say it's well-deserved. She's a really hard worker."

Zivotic said the two previous losses to Liutova provided both motivation and instruction.

"We made slight changes in tactics, but she sticked to the plan, that was most important," Zivotic said. "I think she reached a higher level in semifinal and final than maybe the first two or three matches, but that's how it usually is with her. We came to this tournament prepared, came back from Egypt, where she won two professional titles, which was also a big success for us."

Sun, who joins last year's 16s champion Xiaotong Wang as Orange Bowl winners from China, will return to Belgrade for a few days of rest before starting her preparations for the Australian Open Junior Championships.

The unseeded Liutova, who won the Junior Orange Bowl 12s title in 2022, fought back tears as last week's Bradenton champion sought to gather her thoughts on the end of her 11-match winning streak these 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 the Gorin Academy in Seattle. "She deserved the win. Second place is always tough."

In her remarks after the match, Liutova was generous in her praise of Sun and thanked the tournament organizers, the ballrunners, her Academy and her mother Elena, taking time to compose herself as the tears flowed.

"I'm proud of our work and I'm very grateful for everything to help me improve," Liutova said. "It's tough to finish the year this way, but I'll 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 beating the unseeded American team of Marcel Latak and Tanishk Konduri 6-3, 6-3.

"We showed a good level throughout the whole tournament and really combined our games well," Sesko said. "We're having fun on court, with good energy, so good things happen."

Alvarez and Sesko partnered for the first time in Bradenton, where they reached the final, with their status as teammates on the ITF Grand Slam Development Touring Team a key to their pairing.

"We were in Mexico with the Team and our coach suggested we could play well together," Sesko said. "So we decided to try at the Eddie Herr and it ended up well.  Finals at Eddie Herr and now this, nine out of 10, that's a pretty solid streak."

Alvarez is now a two-time Orange Bowl doubles champion, having hoisted the winners' crystal bowl of oranges with Ryan Cozad in the 16s division in 2023.

Both Alvarez and Sesko are traveling to Melbourne next month with the ITF Touring Team for the Australian Open, but they are not playing with each other there.

The ITF Touring Team picked up 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, reaching the doubles final with another partner, but after those 11 matches and ten more this week, Rajeshwaran Revathi said she would have understood if Cvetkovic had withdrawn after her three set loss to Liutova Saturday.

"Because she went far last week and went far this week as well, I knew she was dead physically," said the 16-year-old, who trains at the Nadal Academy. "I was telling my mom, if she decides to retire, I'd really support the decision, because she deserves it, but I'm really happy that she pushed through."

Playing together for the first time, the pair did not overwhelm their opponents, needing match tiebreakers in three of their victories, but they meshed well. 

"Today was our best match," said the 17-year-old Cvetkovic, who had her right thigh heavily wrapped for the final. "We play so good, so aggressive. We knew what we had to do, and tried to do this and it's all good, I'm proud."

The ITF World Junior Championship Wheelchair singles finals also were played this morning, with Charlie Cooper defeating Tomas Majetic 6-2, 7-5 in the all-USA boys final between unseeded players. 

The girls champion is top seed Luna Gryp of Belgium, who beat Seira Matsuoka of Japan 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(2) in the final.