British tennis sensation Hannah Klugman, at just 16 years old, is set to compete for her first Grand Slam title this Saturday.
The schoolgirl from Kingston-upon-Thames has made history by becoming the first British female player to reach the French Open juniors final in nearly 50 years.
Klugman secured her spot in the final after a hard-fought three-set victory over Bulgarian opponent Rositsa Dencheva in the semi-finals, winning 1-6, 6-3, 6-3.
The last British female to reach the Roland Garros girls` final was Michelle Tyler in 1976, who won the title that year. Coincidentally, Sue Barker also claimed the senior women`s singles title in Paris in the same year.
Hannah Klugman will face 17-year-old Austrian Lilli Tagger in the final match on Saturday. Speaking about her achievement, Klugman expressed her surprise: “I’m just a bit shocked to be honest. I wasn’t playing my best and I found it tough to get myself into the match.”
She added, “I felt like as soon as I did that I was in a good space and I thought I could do well if I got into the match. I think I’ve been mentally very good this week. I think I’m staying calm in big moments and also just trying to take it in.”
Klugman highlighted the importance of enjoying the moment: “These moments don’t happen a lot, so trying to enjoy it is a big part. My coach and physio are basically saying: ‘Go out there and enjoy it.’ Because you never know if you’ll be in the spot again.”
In other British success at the tournament, Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski also reached a final, progressing to the men’s doubles championship match. They defeated Americans Christian Harrison and Evan King in a tight encounter, winning 6-7, 6-3, 7-6 in a deciding-set tie-break.
Salisbury and Skupski will compete against Spaniard Marcel Granollers and Argentina’s Horacio Zeballos for the title. The last time British players won the men`s doubles trophy at the French Open was in 1933, with Fred Perry and Pat Hughes.
Furthermore, Alfie Hewett reached the final of the wheelchair singles, overcoming Argentine Gustavo Fernández 6-4, 4-6, 7-6. Hewett, who faces the top seed Tokito Oda, is aiming for his fourth French Open title in this category, his first since 2021.
