The new phenomenon deals a major blow at the Australian Open to the delight of Rafa Nadal

On the official website of the WTA, the organization that governs the women’s professional circuit, her profile has a cropped silhouette as an image, the source in the absence of an official photo. Unforgivable because the Russian Alina Korneeva deserves special attention. His career reflects this. He is regarded as one of the possible stars in not too long.

He is not known in the tennis world. At the age of 15, he dominated the 2023 juniors at the Australian Open and Roland Garros, ending the season as world No. 1 under-18. He won a professional ITF100 with a double 6-0 against his rival in the final. At 16 he made a big splash again in Melbourne, but now in the senior team.

She made her debut on the WTA Tour in October, getting past the qualifying phase and winning a match in the WTA main draw in Hong Kong.

In Melbourne, he made it through the preliminary screening to make his debut in a senior Grand Slam draw, also being the youngest entrant. He decorated his excellent result with a victory on his debut in a ‘big’. He also hunted down an experienced rival, the Spanish Sarah Sorribes27 years old and world number 33.

The native of Castellón was a victim of Korneeva’s power, of winning shots, which gradually gained ground as she gained composure and confidence. The Russian won 4-6, 6-3 and 6-2.

For Rafael Nadalthe joy that a tennis player from his Rafa Nadal Academy was the star, although he would have preferred that the victim was not a Spanish girl. Korneeva He has done the preseason in Manacor, advised by technicians from the center such as the Spanish captain of the BJK Cup, Anabel Medina. At the antipodes it also has the support of the displaced group from academia.

In Russia his main coach was Julia Bekeshchenkosecond mother to him because she was the one who noticed his talent when he was 6 years old and went to a tryout at the club Spartak Moscow. The father of the new prodigy won Olympic bronze in Beijing 2008 with the Russian volleyball team.

Korneeva went through school with the second youngest tennis player at the Australian Open, Mirra Andreeva, 16 years old and 47th in the world after making the third round at Roland Garros and eighth at Wimbledon. A breakthrough in 2023 that Alina tried to follow up, who managed to defeat her compatriot in the finals of the Australian juniors in 2023. Another 16-year-old girl who will be next is the Czech Brenda Fruhvirtova. They form an interesting trio for the future.

He is as his idol Rafael Nadalits reference is Serena Williams. At 16 he’s going strong, he already knows how to win a Grand Slam. Next test, the Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia or the czech Linda Fruhvirtova.