My US Open Junior Recap; Malacek Claims J200 Montreal Title; Krishnan Wins First WT Junior Singles Title at J100 San Antonio; Czechia and USA 1-1 in Davis Cup Qualifying; Tennis-Specific Masters Position Available at FSU

My recap of last week's US Open Junior Championships is up today at Tennis Recruiting Network, and even six days later, I'm still marveling at the boys final, which I rewatched this week. Although there were peaks and valleys for both Guto Miguel and Marcel Latak in each set, it's difficult to imagine a more riveting final five games, with the deciding tiebreaker feature even more drama. A match like that will overshadow anything else happening, and of course scheduling the boys and girls singles finals and the girls doubles final at the same time is indefensible, but I don't want to overlook any of the other three finals, which are included, of course in the recap.

The US Open YouTube channel posted a highlight video of the boys final, which I am embedding below. The highlight video of the girls singles final is here; the girls doubles final is here; and the boys doubles final is here.

Daniel Malacek won the boys singles title today at the J200 in Montreal, with the 16-year-old from the Seattle area, seeded fourth, defeating No. 3 seed Erik Schinnerer 6-2, 7-5 in the all-American final. Malacek is closing in on the WT junior Top 100 with this title, and is scheduled to play the J200 next week in Corpus Christi Texas.

No. 2 seed Clemence Mercier of Canada won the girls title, beating No. 3 seed Ellery Mendell 6-1, 7-5.

The J100 in San Antonio also wrapped up today, with Arjun Krishnan capturing his first singles title on the World Tennis Junior Circuit. The unseeded 16-year-old, who won the Easter Bowl 14s title last year, defeated No. 3 seed Sebastian Godoy 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 in the all-USA final.

Thirteen-year-old Nikol Davletshina, who has long lived in Florida, but represents Russia on the WT Junior Circuit, won her second WT junior singles title in San Antonio, defeating 16-year-old Karissa Chang 2-6, 6-4, 6-1. Davletshina is only allowed ten WT junior circuit tournaments from her 13th birthday, which was in April, until her 14th birthday and she has played five now. She is entered in Corpus Christi next week, but I don't expect her to play all the fall WT junior events in Florida given the limited dates available to her until next spring.

Nikol and her older sister Daniela lost in the doubles final today, with the unseeded team of Rose Biria and Aleksandra Jerkunica beating them 6-2, 6-2.

The unseeded team of Jaidyn Finley and Cayden Laughton won the boys doubles title, beating top seed Anay Kulkarni and Brazil's Felipe Mamede 6-7(5), 6-3, 10-8.

The United States and Czechia are tied a 1 in their second round Davis Cup qualifying tie in Prague, with Learner Tien(USC) winning his match with Jakub Mensik, but Ben Shelton(Florida) falling to Jiri Lehecka. Today's report from the USTA:

PRAGUE, Czechia, September 18, 2026 – Learner Tien played a clinical match in his Davis Cup debut but was equaled by a strong performance from Jiri Lehecka on Friday, as the USA and Czechia split the opening two matches of their Davis Cup Qualifying Second Round tie in front of more than 13,000 inside the O2 Arena in Prague. 

 

Tien defeated Mensik, 6-2, 6-4, in 1 hour, 7 minutes, before Lehecka then played an air-tight match against Ben Shelton to prevail, 6-4, 6-4, in 1 hour, 34 minutes. 

 

The best-of-five-match tie continues on Saturday, beginning with the doubles that pits 2026 US Open and Australian Open doubles champion Christian Harrison and former doubles world No. 1 Austin Krajicek against Adam Pavlasek and Patrik Rikl. The tie then concludes with the reverse singles matches -- Shelton vs. Mensik and Tien vs. Lehecka. Saturday’s schedule could be amended if either team clinches victory in the third or fourth match, and captains may make substitutions to Saturday’s lineups up to one hour prior to match time for the doubles and after the previous match for the singles.

 

The first nation between the USA and Czechia to win three out of five matches wins the Qualifier and will advance to the Davis Cup Final 8 November 24-29 in Bologna, Italy, to compete for the Davis Cup title. 

 

Tennis Channel will carry coverage in the U.S.

 

Saturday, September 19; 2 p.m. local (8 a.m. ET)

Christian Harrison / Austin Krajicek (USA) v. Adam Pavlasek/Patrik Rikl (CZE)

Ben Shelton (USA) v. Jakub Mensik (CZE)

Learner Tien (USA) v. Jiri Lehecka (USA)

Ryan Rodenberg, a professor at Florida State, is again offering a Masters student position for tennis-specific research, beginning in the fall of 2027.

Click here more information about this opportunity.