ITF J300 Tucson Videos; Reddy and Alvarez Earn First ATP Points in M15 Boca Raton, Wild Card Saffar Wins in Pro Circuit Debut at W35 in Boca Raton; Top Seeds Fall at J500 Cairo; SoCal Pro Series Begins Fifth Season Next Month

The videos from last month's finals at the ITF J300 in Tucson are below, with more to come in the next few weeks from the ITF in San Diego and the Easter Bowl. For many more videos from major junior events in the United States going back more than a decade, see the tenniskalamazoo YouTube channel.

 

 

Rain has again been a problem in Boca Raton, with some first round matches postponed until Thursday, but others were completed earlier today, with several juniors getting memorable results.

Sixteen-year-old wild card Vihaan Reddy, who had just one win in the two J300s out west last month, earned his first ATP point today at the M15 in Boca Raton, beating 18-year-old qualifier Adam Farag-Cao of Canada 6-3, 7-5. He will play No. 8 seed Jacob Brumm(Cal, Baylor) in the second round. ITF Junior Reserve entrant Yannik Alvarez of Puerto Rico also claimed his first ATP point, beating 20-year-old qualifier Segundo Goity Zapico of Argentina 6-2, 6-3. He will face No. 2 seed Will Grant(Florida) in the second round. 

Other teenagers advancing are wild cards Nick Stoot and Jerrid Gaines Jr.,  No. 6 seed Jack Kennedy, who plays Gaines next, and two Australian Open boys finalists, Benjamin Willwerth(2025) and Keaton Hance(2026), both of whom received main draw spots via the Junior Reserve program.

At the W35 in Boca Raton, 17-year-old Yael Saffar, who has been playing on the ITF Junior Circuit in Central and South America all year, received a wild card into her first Pro Circuit tournament and today won her debut, beating fellow teenage wild card Natalie Oliver 7-5, 3-6, 6-2.  No. 2 seed Mary Stoiana(Texas A&M) did finish her first round match, beating qualifier Savannah Broadus 6-3, 7-5.

Teens advancing to the second round of the W15 in Bonita Springs are Ava Rodriguez, wild card Carlota Moreno, No. 8 seed Bella Payne, No. 5 seed Daria Egorova, 14-year-old Sofia Bielinska of Ukraine and Allegra Korpanec Davies of Great Britain, the latter two after receiving Junior Reserved entries.

Both No. 1 seeds were beaten in the third round today at the ITF J500 in Cairo Egypt. Unseeded Vincent Reisach of Germany defeated Nikita Belozertsev of Uzbekistan 6-4, 6-4 and No. 16 seed Alena Kharchenko rebounded to beat Sonja Zhenikhova of Germany 0-6, 6-4, 6-2. Carel Ngounoue, who defeated No. 4 seed Savva Rybkin 6-4, 6-3 in the second round, lost to No. 16 seed Jan Sadzik of Poland 6-4, 6-1 today. 

The dates for this year's SoCal Pro Series, the seven-week block of $15,000 tournaments for men and women at various locations in the area, have been announced. Below is the release, which also includes information on the prequalifying events, which begin early next month.

APRIL 8, 2026 – The SoCal Pro Series, USTA Southern California’s swing of International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Tennis Tour events, returns for its fifth consecutive year this summer. The series provides a critical pathway for the region’s best junior and collegiate talent, offering players the opportunity to earn ATP and WTA world ranking points needed to transition onto the professional tour.

 

The SoCal Pro Series features seven straight weeks of men’s and women’s tournaments at premier tennis facilities across Southern California. Each $15,000-purse event is part of the USTA Pro Circuit and ITF World Tennis Tour. The series spans Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties and makes its Inland Empire debut this year in Claremont.

 

The 2026 SoCal Pro Series’ tournament dates and locations are:

• May 25-31 – Lakewood Tennis Center, Lakewood
• June 1-7 – Lakewood Tennis Center, Lakewood
• June 8-14 – Jack Kramer Club, Rolling Hills Estates
• June 15-21 – Racquet Club of Irvine, Irvine
• June 22-28 – Biszantz Family Tennis Center, Claremont
• June 29-July 5 – Barnes Tennis Center, San Diego
• July 6-12 – Rancho Santa Fe Tennis Club, Rancho Santa Fe

 

“The SoCal Pro Series has always been about giving our junior and college players a real opportunity to test themselves,” said Trevor Kronemann, USTA Southern California Executive Director. “What’s been exciting to see is how they’re not just stepping into bigger events, they’re springboarding into them. They’re building belief, earning points, and proving they belong on the ATP and WTA tours. Having seven straight weeks of competition back on our calendar is huge for our section and for the players chasing that next level.”

 

Through the first four years of the SoCal Pro Series, 36 women and 21 men—who are either Southern California residents or played collegiate tennis in Southern California— have earned their first WTA/ATP world ranking point through the circuit, including seven women and five men in 2025.

 

Notable alumni who have used the series to catapult onto the professional tour include:

• Learner Tien (Irvine): Current ATP No. 22; 2026 Australian Open Quarterfinalist.
• Alex Michelsen (Aliso Viejo): Current ATP No. 35.
• Iva Jovic (Torrance): Current WTA No. 16; 2026 Australian Open Quarterfinalist.
• Local Standouts: Zach Svajda (Pacific Beach): Current ATP No. 84; Tristan Boyer (Altadena): Current ATP No. 242; Brandon Holt (Rolling Hills Estates): Current ATP No. 252; Julieta Pareja (Carlsbad): Current WTA No. 368; and Katherine Hui (San Diego): 2023 US Open Girls’ Singles Champion.

 

“The SoCal Pro Series was vital for my transition to the pro tour,” explained Jovic. “It was my first professional event [in 2022] and a great starting point. I really appreciate USTA SoCal’s commitment to giving wildcards and opportunities to local kids. SoCal has a great tennis community, with talented players and coaches, and that level of guidance and professionalism is incredible. Having professional events in our section—and a whole series of them—is something many other sections don’t have. It’s a huge advantage and exposure for SoCal kids.”

 

SoCal Pro Series’ main draw and qualifying wildcards are available to U.S. citizens who are either legal Southern California residents or full-time college students in the region.

 

Southern California players can register to play in pre-qualifying events for a chance to earn their way into the main draw as wild cards. The upcoming pre-qualifying schedule includes: May 9-11, Jack Kramer Club; May 15-19, Lakewood Tennis Center; May 22-24, Rancho Santa Fe Tennis Club; May 29-June 2, Racquet Club of Irvine; June 6-8, Barnes Tennis Center; June 12-14 The Claremont Club. SoCal players can register for pre-qualifying events at: https://ustasocal.com/proseries/#pre-qualifying.