‘I've allowed myself to dream’: Traralgon champs eye Aussie Open glory
Having started their season in fine style by lifting silverware at J1 Traralgon, Croatia’s Mili Poljicak and Sofia Costoulas of Belgium have their sights firmly set on Junior Grand Slam glory at the Australian Open.
Poljicak, who is ranked No. 4 in the boys’ rankings, claimed the second Grade 1 title of his career with victory over doubles partner Edas Butvilas of Lithuania in the final, during which he recovered from a set down.
Whereas Poljicak has previously sealed Grade A success – at JA Merida in November – which brings with it a greater haul of ranking points and prestige, victory at Traralgon represented the biggest title of Costoulas’s fledgling career.
Indeed, by defeating Canada’s Kayla Cross in straight sets in the girls’ final, Costoulas topped the podium at a singles event for the first time since conquering all before her at J2 Benicarlo in November 2020.
Attention now turns to the Australian Open Junior Championships, which begin on Saturday, and following their respective victories at J1 Traralgon – the traditional warm-up event for the season’s maiden Junior Grand Slam – spirits are high.
“To be honest, I have allowed myself to dream about winning the Australian Open,” Poljicak told itftennis.com. “I have imagined what will happen if I win it and it would be amazing.
“I am so happy with the level of my tennis, and I am so happy to play such good tennis before the Australian Open. I am really looking forward to it and winning at Traralgon gives me a lot of confidence and belief ahead of next week.
“Traralgon was a great event and I feel the quality of players at the two tournaments will be the same. Having done well here, my expectations for next week are big.”
Ranked No. 7 in the girls’ rankings, Costoulas, whose best Junior Grand Slam performance is reaching the third round at last year’s US Open, will bid to follow in the footsteps of Denmark’s Clara Tauson over the coming week.
Tauson was the last girl to win the Traralgon title before starring at the Australian Open and sealing Junior Grand Slam silverware. That was in 2019, while the last boy to do so was a certain Alexander Zverev back in 2014.
Irrespective of history or the back catalogue of past champions, Costoulas echoes Poljicak’s sentiments and is very much riding the crest of a wave as she prepares for her second Australian Open appearance.
“I have thought about doing well at the Australian Open but not too much as you can get ahead of yourself, I just try to keep focused every day and keep improving,” Costoulas told itftennis.com.
“But I am very pleased about winning at Traralgon. I am very happy because the start of the season is always a bit tricky. You work hard during pre-season, so it is great to start the season off well.
“I grew through the tournament, and I am very pleased with that. Hopefully I can continue like that at the Australian Open. It gives me a lot of confidence because the players at Traralgon are pretty much the same as those at the Australian Open.
“I know that I am able to beat everyone, but it is always a 50/50 chance if you’re able to win a match, but I definitely have a lot of confidence going into the Australian Open.”
In reference to competing against Butvilas in the boys’ singles final, Poljicak conceded that it was difficult to play such a good friend, but ultimately insisted “there were no friends on court”.
However, the 17-year-old, who reached the quarter-finals at last year’s Junior Championships, Wimbledon, will head to Melbourne buoyed even further after he and Butvilas sealed victory in the Traralgon doubles, beating Bruno Kuzuhara and Coleman Wong in the final.