Rafael Nadal Sends Heartfelt Message to US Open Junior Trophy Winner Ivan Ivanov

When it comes to making history, you have to start from the bottom. Rafael Nadal knows all about putting in the work to shine on the sport’s biggest stages. With 22 Grand Slam singles titles, the Spaniard has poured his experience into the Rafa Nadal Academy. And now, one of their own just hit a milestone.

Ivan Ivanov made waves in junior tennis with his second consecutive major title at the US Open on September 6. The 16-year-old Bulgarian rolled past countryman Alexander Vassilev in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3, to claim his first slam in New York. Training at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Ivanov now stands as only the second Bulgarian to win a junior Grand Slam singles title. He joins Grigor Dimitrov, who set the bar back in 2008 when he reached the US Open junior final.

The Rafa Nadal Academy embraced the moment with a celebratory X post: “Back-to-back Grand Slam titles 🏆🏆 World Junior N. 1 Ivan Ivanov completes the Wimbledon-US Open double, just like Grigor Dimitrov in 2008. We are proud of you, Ivan! ☺️” The academy’s pride echoed the buzz surrounding Ivanov’s rise.

Even the King of Clay himself joined the party. He posted, “Congratulations Ivan on winning @Wimbledon & @usopen Junior 🏆! Congrats also to all the @rnadalacademy team! 👏🏻👏🏻” That’s high praise and heavy backing for the teenager’s blooming career.

Ivanov’s run is historic. He became just the third boy this century to capture both Wimbledon and the US Open in the same year. Only Dimitrov and Filip Peliwo had done it before him. The achievement launched him to No. 1 in the ITF Junior Rankings, cementing his place as the world’s top junior.

His road wasn’t smooth. Ivanov dismantled Kazakhstan’s Zangar Nurlanuly in the semis, 6-1, 6-4, in just over an hour. That was impressive—Nurlanuly had shocked the event by toppling three seeded players, including a wild comeback against No. 6 Oskari Paldanius, where he lost only three games after dropping the first set.

Ivanov proved too strong. He blasted 25 winners, cranked serves at 123 mph, and held his nerve by saving eight of nine break points. His game left no room for doubt.

The dominance booked him a second straight Grand Slam junior final. Ivanov showed flair and grit—attacking with firepower while defending with poise. And he’s enjoying every second of it.

Ivan Ivanov expresses home pride following big win

After his win over fellow Bulgarian Alexander Vassilev, Ivan said in the post-match interview, “I played great, and our thoughts came through. We met Alexander in the final. [It was a] full Bulgarian final and full Bulgarian crowd. I’m very happy that this happened, and I’m very happy that I took success today.” At 16, Ivanov converted five of nine break points and hit 19 winners to seal the victory in 74 minutes. The top seed also saved two of four break points against the fifth-seeded opponent.

The 16-year-old showed he had more energy than Vassilev, who had battled hard just to make his debut junior final. The Wimbledon champion came out confident, breaking early in the third game. Though Vassilev, cousin of Grigor Dimitrov, equalized at 5-5, Ivanov broke again immediately and held serve to claim the first set. In the second, Ivan Ivanov surged to 5-2 with two breaks, and although Vassilev grabbed one break back, losing his composure in the next service game ended his chances.

Finishing with 19 winners and 21 unforced errors, Ivanov played smart tennis. Vassilev, clearly tired from yesterday’s effort, struggled with zero aces and seven double faults.

Reflecting on the challenge, Ivanov said, “He came back. He started putting more pressure on me, and I really felt it. I tried to escape, and I tried to make those moments come as short as possible, which I’m very happy [about] today, because I managed to do it very short. And at 5-All, I managed to break back and then take my serve. So I’m very happy with that.”

With this win, Ivan Ivanov’s future is looking bright. Could the young star keep climbing the ranks? Share your thoughts—this is just the beginning!