Choreographer Ivanov sets up SW19 final clash with qualifier Karki
Bulgaria has its first Junior Grand Slam finalist since 2008 after Ivan Ivanov defeated Germany’s Max Schoenhaus to move to within one match-win of glory at the Junior Championships, Wimbledon.
It proved a high-quality showdown which eventually saw Ivanov prevail 7-6(7) 7-6(5) as he avenged his defeat to eventual champion Schoenhaus in the semi-finals at last month’s Roland Garros Junior Championships.
The 16-year-old is the sixth Bulgarian player to reach the final of a Junior Grand Slam but the first since Grigor Dimitrov, who also won the Junior Championships at Wimbledon a few months earlier, at the 2008 US Open.
At one stage it was looking as though there would be an all-Bulgarian boys’ final but Ronit Karki of the United States recovered from a set down to overcome Bulgaria’s Alexander Vasilev 5-7 6-4 6-1.
Had Vasilev won, it would have been the first all-Bulgarian singles final in Junior Grand Slam history, and the second Junior Grand Slam in succession that featured competitors from the same nation. The Roland Garros boy’s final was an all-German affair.
As it is, Ivanov, who is ranked No. 6 in the ITF World Tennis Tour boys’ rankings, remains to carry the Bulgarian flag, while he may wish to work on his dance moves ahead of Sunday’s final.
“I did not do the celebration I planned properly,” Ivanov, who is a two-time recipient of Grand Slam Player Grants totalling $50,000 financed by the Grand Slam Player Development Programme, told itftennis.com.
“I was watching a video yesterday of a Korean boy doing a dance while paddleboarding. He is on top of the paddleboard and does a dance, he looks so chilled and nice.
“Since seeing it I was thinking of the dance all of the time and felt that if I won today, I should do it. But I totally forgot the dance and just did the first part of it, and then had to shake hands with Max. I got a little bit too excited.
“I still haven’t accepted what being a Wimbledon finalist means as that match was very tough. Max was fighting until the end, and I was ready to play a third set until I managed to find a way to win.
“For sure, I am happy about my level of tennis and the achievement of reaching a Junior Grand Slam final at Wimbledon. You would have to be stupid not to appreciate it. I am very happy and thankful, and glad all the hard work I have been putting in is paying off.”
New Jersey-born Karki, meanwhile, is the first American to reach the boys’ final at the Junior Championships, Wimbledon since 2022 when Michael Zheng finished runner-up to Croatia’s Mili Poljicak.
He is also the first qualifier to make the boys’ singles final at a Grand Slam since fellow American Noah Rubin achieved the feat and won the title here at Wimbledon in 2014.
“Even though I had to come through qualifying to get here, I wouldn’t want to change anything,” said Karki. “Everything is connected. Maybe playing qualies was a good thing and part of the reason why I am here now. I am absolutely grateful that I played qualifying.
“At the time it was a little disappointing, but not now. When I was following the acceptance list, I didn’t expect to get into the draw , I felt there was a pretty low chance I was going to get in. But now I am in the final.
“It is the biggest accomplishment I have had so far in my junior career, but I just try to be calm about it and not get too excited because this is just the beginning of my career. There is a long road ahead.”
With Karki in the boys' final and Julieta Pareja in the girls', this could well be a significant weekend for American junior tennis.
A full list of results from the 2025 Junior Championships, Wimbledon can be accessed here