Though the second week of each Grand Slam sees the stars of today move onto the stadium courts, the grounds of the US Open are still abuzz, showcasing the stars of tomorrow. Belinda Bencic, Ana Konjuh, and Daria Kasatkina have all made quick transitions from junior champions to WTA stalwarts - Konjuh the latest to break through with a first quarterfinal in New York just three years after winning the girl's singles title.
Eager to join her former junior colleagues into the big leagues is ITF No.1 Anastasia Potapova. The 15-year-old Russian won her first major tournament at Wimbledon in a wild match that featured multiple challenges on match points.
"For the first two days, I didn't understand that I won," she told WTA Insider after her first round win. "But when I got back home in Russia, I felt like, 'Yes, it's me, and I won it. Finally! I'm a Wimbledon champion!' My parents, my team, and my academy were all so happy for me."
Potapova got her start in the game thanks to her grandmother, who coaches a regional women's basketball team in Moscow.
"She prepares teams for competitions in the same building where little girls practice tennis.
"I was four and a half, almost five, and she decided to put me into tennis, and I'm so happy she did."
Success has come early and often for Potapova, who still plays basketball for fun and follows the Miami Heat. She reached the semifinals of the Orange Bowl last fall and posted strong results in the first two junior Grand Slams before running the table on grass, going 12-0 to win back-to-back titles in Roehampton and at the All England Club.
"I don't feel a lot of pressure because I'm just 15. Yes, I won a Slam, but ok, now it's finished. It was, but now it's onto another story. I don't feel extra pressure."
Keeping her grounded during her stay in Flushing is longtime coach Irina Doronina. The two train at the Alexander Ostrovsky Academy in Khimki, close to the capital.
"I've been working with her for almost five years, but I've known her for maybe six or seven.
"I like working with a woman coach, and I think it's easier for girls to work with them. They get you be your second mom, and you get to tell her anything, even some secrets!"
It was an interesting remark made by a youngster who appears to be an open book anyway. She talked about adjusting to the New York humidity after training in Russia, advocated for the expansion of the shot clock, and made no bones about playing a pair of Americans in her first two matches.
"At the Wimbledon final, there was a big crowd and I felt like more people were cheering for Dayana [Yastremska], not for me. That wasn't my first experience, and I don't care about it.
"I feel like, 'Ok, if you want to cheer for her? It's ok; it's your choice, and of course, why not?' It can even help because it gets me more angry, and feeling like I'll win anyway, so calm down!"
Cheering her on from afar is countrywoman and Olympic gold medalist Elena Vesnina. The two met after their respective runs at Wimbledon, and have been in contact ever since.
"We had some interviews together in Moscow, Match TV and things like that. I know her really well now and we're always talking, wishing each other luck.
"She's just amazing, making the semifinals of Wimbledon and winning the Olympics in doubles. She's had an amazing year, and I'm so happy to know her. She's so good."
What remains most exciting to the teenager is a WTA debut, which she hopes to make by the start of next season.
"I can't wait to play pro tournaments. I'm so excited for this. But I want to finish this year in juniors ranked No.1, and then trying to show my best here at the US Open, of course. After that, we will see."
