Tennis Europe Junior Masters

European junior tennis tournament

Tennis Europe Junior Masters
Status	active
Genre	sports event
Date(s)	lateyear
Frequency	annual
Inaugurated	1996
Organised by	European Tennis Association (ETA)

The Tennis Europe Junior Masters is the season-ending championship of the U14 circuit of the Tennis Europe Junior Tour. The event was organized by the European Tennis Association (ETA), now known as Tennis Europe. The event has been organized by the Monégasque Tennis Federation ever since 2021, when it began being held in Monte Carlo.

It is the most significant tennis event in the U14 circuit of the Tennis Europe calendar year after the five Super Categories and the European Junior Championships, as it features the top eight boys and girls in the under-14 and under-16 categories based on their results throughout the season. Future world No. 1s Kim Clijsters and Rafael Nadal capped their best seasons on the U14 circuit by winning the event in 1997 and 2000 respectively, while players such as Andy Murray, Alexander Zverev, Simona Halep and Belinda Bencic are all former medalists.

History

The season-ending Junior Masters was launched in 1996 with the purpose of rewarding the best-performing players of the year. The Masters officially brings the season to an end, and features the six best European players of both the U14 and U16 circuits based on that season's rankings, plus the finalists of the European Junior Championships. Reggio Calabria hosted the event until 2021, when it began being held on the clay courts of the Monte-Carlo Country Club, also home to the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Monte-Carlo, under the High Patronage of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco. From 2023, four Junior Masters players are selected to receive a once-in-a-lifetime stay at the Red Bull Athlete Performance Centre, where they will have a unique opportunity to hone their performance and potential.

The Masters, which has worldwide media coverage and is seen as the scouting event for future stars, is broadcast on national television in Monaco and live-streamed online. In 2022, Alena Kovačková became the first player to finish at No. 1 in both Race Rankings age categories. She ultimately chose to play in the U16 competition (which she won), giving the ninth-ranked player of the girls’ U14 list a spot in the event.

Format

The 2023 edition featured a revised format, adopting a round-robin phase in line with the ATP and WTA Finals. The eight qualifiers are separated into two groups of four, ensuring three live matches before the two group winners face off in the grand final.

Results