Mika Stojsavljevic, the 15-year-old British tennis sensation, has had her celebrations cut short after winning the US Open junior girls' title, as she must immediately return home for the new school year. The teenager defeated No. 7 seed Wakana Sonobe 6-4 6-4 in the final on Saturday, becoming the fourth British player to win a junior US Open title.
Despite her triumph in Flushing Meadows, Stojsavljevic is flying back to the UK on Sunday to attend school on Tuesday. She is entering her final year at Amherst School in Loughborough and has her GCSEs to prepare for. 'I'm definitely still in school, I have my GCSEs this year, and it's important to get those done,' she told Sky Sports after the match.
The six-foot London-born player, who trains at the LTA's Loughborough National Academy, noted that her classmates are all fellow tennis players, so the reaction to her win may be muted. 'It will be a little bit easier just being with tennis people,' she said. 'Around school it might be a little bit different.'
Stojsavljevic's immediate scheduling remains unclear, but she expressed confidence that her coaches will balance junior and senior events around her education. 'I'm sure everyone back at the Loughborough National Academy will try their best to make the schedule as good as they can for me,' she said. 'This is an important year for me.'
