2022 WTA Debutantes
Welcome to the tour: All of 2022's WTA debutantes
A pair of Estonians, Elena Malygina and Maileen Nuudi, both made their WTA main-draw debuts in Tallinn this week. In total, 58 players have contested a WTA main draw for the first time in 2022 so far.
01
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UCLA alumna Robin Anderson, 27, earned an Australian Open wildcard after reaching the 2021 Midland 125 final and thus winning the USTA Wildcard Challenge. The American lost to Samantha Stosur in round one.
Photo by Getty Images
02
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Brenda Fruhvirtova, 14, received a qualifying wildcard to Guadalajara after winning two straight ITF W25s. In just her fifth pro event, the Czech upset Sara Errani en route to the main draw, where she fell to Sloane Stephens in round one.
Photo by Abierto Zapopan
03
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University of Oklahoma alumna Yuriko Miyazaki, 26, qualified for Lyon, where the Tokyo-born Briton held match point over Anna Bondar before falling in round one.
Photo by Léo Sorlin/Open 6ème Sens - Métropole de Lyon
04
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Former junior No.9 Elvina Kalieva cut her WTA ranking from No.1212 to No.404 in 2021. The American, 18, received an Indian Wells wildcard, and took Ekaterina Alexandrova to a third-set tiebreak in round one.
Photo by Jimmie48/WTA
05
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American Sophie Chang, 24, opened 2022 by winning her first ITF W25 title in Vero Beach, and went on to qualify for Charleston by beating Whitney Osuigwe and Louisa Chirico.
Photo by Charleston Tennis LLC/Chris Smith
06
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Elina Avanesyan scored her first Top 100 win over Harriet Dart en route to the Bogota quarterfinals in her first WTA main draw. The 19-year-old had cut her ranking from No.720 to No.261 in 2021, and was up to No.146 following her tour-level debut.
Photo by Copa Colsanitas
07
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Fresh off her second ITF W25 title in Medellin, Dutchwoman Suzan Lamens qualified for Bogota and upset former champion Astra Sharma in round one for her first Top 100 win. The Dutchwoman debuted in the Top 200 as a result.
Photo by Copa Colsanitas
08
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Former junior No.9 and University of Georgia alumna Maria Lourdes Carle qualified for Bogota. The 22-year-old Argentine, noted for her wins over Elena Rybakina and Yulia Putintseva in the 2021 Billie Jean King Cup, fell to Tatjana Maria in round one.
Photo by Copa Colsanitas
09
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Yuliana Monroy, 23, scored her first WTA qualifying win at Bogota 2021 over Natalija Stevanovic and later that year reached her first ITF W15 final in Cancun. The Colombian received a wildcard to Bogota 2022, falling to Ekaterine Gorgodze in round one.
Photo by Copa Colsanitas
10
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Starting Stuttgart as a No.342-ranked qualifying wildcard, 20-year-old German Eva Lys made it to the main draw and upset Viktorija Golubic in a three-hour first round before falling to World No.1 Iga Swiatek.
Photo by Porsche Tennis Grand Prix
11
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Nikola Bartunkova, 16, had won her first WTA qualifying match at Istanbul 2021, and the No.410-ranked Czech received a main draw wildcard one year later, falling to eventual champion Anastasia Potapova in round one.
Photo by WTA/Mathias Schulz
12
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Former World No.374 Julie Gervais had ended her career in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but the 30-year-old Frenchwoman came out of retirement in Strasbourg - and promptly qualified for her first WTA main draw.
Photo by Olivier Renaud/Internationaux de Strasbourg
13
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Israel's Lina Glushko, the younger sister of former World No.79 Julia, qualified for Strasbourg. The No.291-ranked 22-year-old fell to Kaja Juvan in round one.
Photo by Olivier Renaud/Internationaux de Strasbourg
14
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No.306-ranked Nefisa Berberovic became the first Bosnian in a WTA main draw since 2013 when she got into Strasbourg as a lucky loser, and the first to win a match since Mervana Jugic-Salkic at Hyderabad 2004 when she stunned Sloane Stephens in round one.
Photo by Olivier Renaud/Internationaux de Strasbourg
15
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Angelina Gabueva played her first WTA qualifying draw at Tashkent 2006; 16 years later, the No.594-ranked 33-year-old finally contested her first main draw in Strasbourg as a lucky loser, falling to Fiona Ferro in round one.
Photo by Olivier Renaud/Internationaux de Strasbourg
16
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Germany's Yana Morderger, 25, was a third lucky loser in Strasbourg playing her first WTA main draw. The World No.379 lost to Viktorija Golubic in the first round.
Photo by Olivier Renaud/Internationaux de Strasbourg
17
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No.249-ranked Frenchwoman Carole Monnet, 20, received a wildcard into Strasbourg, and led Elise Mertens by a break in the first round before falling in two tough sets.
Photo by Olivier Renaud/Internationaux de Strasbourg
18
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Ekaterina Reyngold, 21, had cut her ranking from No.1060 in July 2021 to No.333 in May 2022, and continued her rise by qualifying for Rabat.
Photo by Grand Prix Sar La Princesse Lalla Meryem
19
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Two-time ITF titlist Irene Burillo Escorihuela, 24, gained direct entry into Rabat, where the No.251-ranked Spaniard fell to No.2 seed Ajla Tomljanovic in the first round.
Photo by Grand Prix Sar La Princesse Lalla Meryem
20
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Lulu Sun, 21, was born in New Zealand to parents from Croatia and Hong Kong, raised in (and represents) Switzerland, and attended the University of Texas. The World No.276 received a Rabat wildcard, and fell to Arantxa Rus in round one.
Photo by Thomas Burnet/Edge Open Saint-Gaudens Occitanie
21
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Junior No.1 Petra Marcinko, the Australian Open girls' champion, extended her 2022 record to 20-4 after receiving a Rabat wildcard and upsetting Rebecca Peterson for her first Top 100 win.
Photo by Grand Prix Sar La Princesse Lalla Meryem
22
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One year after claiming the Roland Garros girls' title, Czech Linda Noskova came through her first Grand Slam qualifying event to make the main draw, where the No.184-ranked 17-year-old fell to Emma Raducanu in a close first round.
Photo by Jimmie48/WTA
23
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Vanderbilt alumna Fernanda Contreras Gomez, 24, also qualified for Roland Garros at her first attempt. The No.225-ranked Mexican defeated Panna Udvardy to reach the second round.
Photo by Jimmie48/WTA
24
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Lynn University alumna Leolia Jeanjean, 26, reached the third round of Roland Garros as a home wildcard ranked No.227, upsetting No.8 seed Karolina Pliskova en route.
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
25
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2019 Wimbledon girls' champion Daria Snigur reached her first WTA main draw on grass as well. The 20-year-old Ukrainian came through qualifying at Nottingham and fell to Alison Riske in round one.
Photo by Jon Buckle/WTA
26
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After two years out of action, Sonay Kartal compiled a 43-4 record at ITF level between Nov. 2021 and Jun. 2022, gaining a ranking of No.270 in just 10 events. The 20-year-old Briton was rewarded with a Nottingham wildcard.
Photo by Jon Buckle/WTA
27
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Between Jun. 2021 and 2022, Anastasia Tikhonova cut her ranking from No.537 to No.175. The 21-year-old qualified for 's-Hertogenbosch and took Kirsten Flipkens to three sets in round one.
Photo by Alyssa van Heyst/WTA
28
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A Top 30 junior who already had wins over Sara Errani and Kurumi Nara, Australian 16-year-old Taylah Preston qualified for 's-Hertogenbosch in just her seventh pro event.
Photo by Alyssa van Heyst/WTA
29
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One year after taking an indefinite break from tennis due to depression, Maja Chwalinska's comeback gained ground when the No.170-ranked Pole, 20, qualified for Wimbledon and upset Katerina Siniakova to reach round two.
Photo by Jimmie48/WTA
30
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Erika Andreeva, the 2021 Roland Garros girls' finalist, qualified and made the second round of Lausanne. The 18-year-old had raised her ranking from No.630 to No.153 in the preceding 10 months.
Photo by Robert Hradil/Getty Images
31
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No.920-ranked qualifying wildcard Matilde Paoletti, 17, navigated through to the main draw in Palermo with wins over Gabriela Lee and Anastasia Tikhonova. The Italian fell to Oceane Dodin in round one.
Photo by 33rd Palermo Ladies Open
32
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Having climbed from No.480 to No.165 over the previous 12 months, Switzerland's Joanne Zuger qualified for Hamburg, where the 21-year-old Jule Niemeier to reach the second round.
Photo by Witters/Hamburg European Open
33
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Two teenage Czech qualifying wildcards made it to the main draw in Prague. No.421-ranked Dominika Salkova, 18, defeated Astra Sharma, Natalia Vikhlyantseva and Ylena In-Albon to reach the second round.
Photo by Daniel Gravis/WTA
34
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Barbora Palicova, 18, also came through qualifying in Prague. The World No.373 scored wins over Viktoria Kuzmova and Yanina Wickmayer before falling to Lucie Havlickova in the first round of the main draw.
Photo by Daniel Gravis/WTA
35
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Former junior World No.8 Natalia Szabanin, 18, received a wildcard into Budapest after winning two straight ITF W25 titles. The No.386-ranked Hungarian took No.2 seed Martina Trevisan to three sets in round one.
Photo by Mathias Schulz/WTA
36
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No.185-ranked Raluka Serban, 25, made history in Warsaw, becoming the first ever Cypriot to compete in a WTA main draw after coming through qualifying.
Photo by Michal Jedrzejewski/BNP Paribas Poland Open
37
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Poland's Martyna Kubka, 21, received a wildcard on home soil in Warsaw. The World No.472 fell to Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the first round.
Photo by Mathias Schulz/WTA
38
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No.240-ranked Elizabeth Mandlik, the 21-year-old daughter of four-time major champion Hana Mandlikova, qualified for San Jose, upset Alison Riske-Amritraj in round one, and took Paula Badosa to a third-set tiebreak in round two.
Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
39
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2022 NCAA champion Peyton Stearns, 20, scored her first Top 100 win over Varvara Gracheva in Cincinnati qualifying. The following week, the No.329-ranked American made her main draw debut via wildcard in Cleveland.
Photo by Josh Hsia
40
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No.437-ranked Dalayna Hewitt, the 2018 US Open girls' doubles runner-up, upset Grace Min and Marcela Zacarias to qualify for Cleveland; the 21-year-old American fell to Sofia Kenin in round one.
Photo by Ben Peskar
41
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No.322-ranked Iryna Shymanovich, the 2013 Wimbledon girls' doubles runner-up and a 10-time ITF titlist, debuted in Cleveland as a lucky loser, falling to Liudmila Samsonova in round one.
Photo by Ben Peskar
42
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Victoria Mboko, 15, received a wildcard to Granby after reaching the Australian Open and Wimbledon girls' doubles finals, and winning the Saskatoon ITF W25 to rise to World No.519.
Photo by Sarah-Jäde Champagne
43
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Three more Canadian teenagers came through Granby qualifying to make their WTA debuts including Mboko's doubles partner Kayla Cross, 17, the World No.1162.
Photo by Sarah-Jäde Champagne
44
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No.646-ranked Cadence Brace, 17, had scored her first Top 100 win the previous week over Claire Liu in the Vancouver 125, and backed it up with her second in Granby, stunning No.7 seed Kaja Juvan in the first round.
Photo by Sarah-Jäde Champagne
45
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Marina Stakusic, 17, was also victorious on her WTA debut in Granby. The World No.630 defeated Jaimee Fourlis in the first round before taking No.10 seed Marta Kostyuk to three sets in the second.
Photo by Sarah-Jäde Champagne
46
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Japan's Himeno Sakatsume, 21, had reached her biggest final to date at the Charleston ITF W100 in July; the World No.359 entered Granby as a lucky loser and fell to Jasmine Paolini in round one.
Photo by Sarah-Jäde Champagne
47
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Competing in just her second tour-level qualifying event, 16-year-old Czech Sara Bejlek defeated Kristina Mladenovic and Heather Watson to become the youngest player in the US Open main draw.
Photo by Jimmie48/WTA
48
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Eleana Yu, 17, received a US Open wildcard after winning the USTA Girls' 18s Nationals. The No.763-ranked American fell to Alison Riske-Amritraj in the first round.
Photo by Jimmie48/WTA
49
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No.219-ranked Tara Wurth, 19, qualified for Portoroz and fell to Jasmine Paolini in round one. Between Feb. 2021 and Jul. 2022, the Croat had soared from No.1075 to No.158 and racked up three ITF titles; her Portoroz run took her 2022 record to 34-13.
Photo by Matic Klansek Velej/Sportida
50
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Having been ranked No.546 in Nov. 2021, the next 10 months saw Moyuka Uchijima rocket to No.125 after collecting four ITF titles. The Japanese 21-year-old made her WTA debut in Chennai, losing to Magda Linette in round one.
Photo by Parthi Bhan/WTA
51
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Former Top 30 junior Mariia Tkacheva qualified for Chennai to continue a career-best season that had seen the 20-year-old win three ITF titles, compile a 42-13 record and climb from No.766 to No.366.
Photo by Parthi Bhan/WTA
52
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Fresh off her first ITF title in six years in Goyang, No.297-ranked Kyoka Okamura qualified for Chennai, falling to Nadia Podoroska in round one - just the Japanese 26-year-old's second loss in her past 13 matches.
Photo by Parthi Bhan/WTA
53
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Australia's Olivia Tjandramulia, 25, had been 0-14 in WTA qualifying draws dating back to 2014 prior to Chennai, where the World No.421 broke her duck to make the main draw, falling to Carol Zhao in round one.
Photo by Parthi Bhan/WTA
54
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No.635-ranked Rina Saigo made full use of her Tokyo qualifying wildcard to make the main draw. The Japanese 21-year-old fell to Petra Martic in the first round.
Photo by Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images
55
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Fresh off her first ITF title in Yeongwol, No.679-ranked Back Dayeon received a qualifying wildcard in Seoul and extended her winning streak to seven as the Korean 20-year-old upset Lina Glushko and Daniela Vismane to make the main draw.
Photo by Hwang Seo-Jin/Korea Open
56
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Jeong Boyoung, 19, had never faced a Top 200 opponent before receiving a wildcard into Seoul, but the No.688-ranked Korean took No.1 seed Jelena Ostapenko to a third-set tiebreak in the first round.
Photo by Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images
57
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No.400-ranked Elena Malygina, 22, received a wildcard into Tallinn. The Estonian, a three-time ITF titlist, fell to Belinda Bencic in round one.
Photo by Mathias Schulz/WTA
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