Wakana Sonobe
Country (sports) Japan
Born (2008-01-17) 17 January 2008 (age 16)
Singles
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open Junior2R (2023)
French Open Junior3R (2024)
Wimbledon Junior3R (2024)
US Open JuniorF (2024)
Doubles
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open Junior2R (2023, 2024)
French Open JuniorQF (2024)
Wimbledon JuniorQF (2024)
US Open JuniorSF (2023)
Last updated on: 12 July 2023.

Wakana Sonobe (born 17 January 2008) is a Japanese tennis player. She reached the final of the girls' singles at the 2024 US Open.[1]

Early life

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From Saitama Prefecture, she started playing tennis at four years-old, and briefly did ballet as a youngster. She won the Japanese U14 national tennis title in singles in 2021. She became based at the IMG Academy in the United States in February 2022.[2][3]

Career

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2023

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She made her junior grand slam debut at the 2023 Australian Open where she reached the second round with partner Emerson Jones.[4][5] Playing the girls' singles at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships she was defeated by British player Mika Stojsavljevic in the first round.[6] She lost to Stojsavljevic again in the first round of the 2023 US Open girls' singles but reached the semi finals of the girls' doubles alongside compatriot Hayu Kinoshita.[7]

2024

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Playing alongside Mika Stojsavljevic she reached the quarter finals of the girls' doubles at the 2024 French Open where they were defeated by eventual winners Iva Jovic and Tyra Caterina Grant. She reached the third round of the singles but lost to Tereza Valentová.[8][9]

She reached the quarter finals of the girls' doubles alongside Iva Ivanova of Bulgaria at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. She reached the third round of the girls' singles where she lost to Iva Jovic.[10][11]

In September 2024, she defeated Mingge Xu to reach the final of the girls' singles at the 2024 US Open.[12] She lost in the final to British player Mika Stojsavljevic.[13]

Personal life

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She is left-handed.[14]

References

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  1. ^ "Wakana Sonobe". Eurosport. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  2. ^ "Interview with Sonobe Yasou: The 13-year-old is known for his aggressive tennis style that makes the most of his 170cm height and left-handedness. "I'll do my best in each". tennisclassic.jp. 7 December 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  3. ^ "Their first pairing is perfect. The rapidly growing Sonobe Yasou and the young veteran(?) Kinoshita Haruyuki make it to the top four". news.line.me. September 8, 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  4. ^ Uchida, Akira (6 September 2024). "16-year-old Sonobe Yasou advances to the finals of the "US Open Juniors" with big-scale tennis! He's not satisfied, but "I'm still happy"". thedigestweb. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  5. ^ "JONES ENJOYING "UNBELIEVABLE" EXPERIENCE AT AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2023". tennis.com.au. 23 January 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  6. ^ "Mika Stojsavljevic rallies for Wimbledon win". East Lothian Courier. 10 July 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  7. ^ "Hui claims US Open junior title". WTA. 10 September 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  8. ^ "園部八奏/ストイサビレビッチはウインブルドン・ジュニア優勝ペアに競り負けジュニア女子ダブルス4強入りならず [フレンチ・オープン]". Tennis Magazine. 7 June 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  9. ^ "園部八奏がジュニア女子シングルス3回戦敗退もダブルスで8強入り [フレンチ・オープン]". Tennis Magazine. 6 June 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  10. ^ "Junior women's doubles players Yasao Sonobe and Reina Goto each lost in the quarterfinals". tennismagazine.jp. 13 July 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  11. ^ "園部八奏はジュニア女子シングルス3回戦で逆転負け、五藤玲奈がダブルスで準々決勝進出 [ウインブルドン]". tennismagazine.jp. 12 July 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  12. ^ "British teen Stojsavljevic reaches US Open junior final". BBC Sport. 6 September 2024.
  13. ^ "Rafael Jodar, Mika Stojsavljevic win US Open junior titles". ESPN. 8 September 2024. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  14. ^ Lewis, Colette (8 December 2023). "Pacheco Mendez and Sonobe Claim Eddie Herr ITF Titles". Tennis Rectruiting. Retrieved 7 September 2024.