IMG Academy Celebrates Wakana Sonobe as its Eighth Tennis World Junior No. 1 in Last Decade
IMG Academy
Bradenton, Fla. (May 28, 2025) - IMG Academy, the world’s leading sports education brand, is back on top of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior circuit with Wakana Sonobe officially becoming a world junior No. 1. The tennis program continues to solidify its reputation as a dominant force in junior tennis, as Sonobe becomes the eighth IMG Academy student-athlete to achieve this prestigious title and the second back-to-back Japanese tennis player, following Rei Sakamoto, who earned the same distinction in 2024.
Sonobe’s perseverance and dedication to the sport makes her the second female IMG Academy student-athlete to reach the No. 1 world junior ranking, after Whitney Osuigwe in 2017. Sonobe began training at IMG Academy when she was 13 years old. Throughout her four years at IMG Academy, her continued success and growth is a testament to IMG Academy’s ability to holistically develop student-athletes who are recognized at the international level and the top student-athletes in tennis.
“The tennis program is incredibly proud of Wakana, and we are honored to be a part of her journey to being ranked at No. 1 in junior tennis,” said Juan Herrera, Director of Tennis at IMG Academy. “To see her name at the top, joining seven other IMG Academy student-athletes at No. 1 further cements IMG Academy’s position as the top junior tennis program in world. Our purpose at IMG Academy is to empower student-athletes to win their future and Wakana is well on her way to a bright future in this sport. ”
Including Sonobe, IMG Academy has recognized eight world junior No. 1s in the last 10 years, six of whom are competing at a professional tennis level.
Miomir Kecmanovic (2016 World Junior No. 1) reached a career high professional ranking of No. 27 is currently the No. 2 Serbian player.
Whitney Osiugwe (2017 World Junior No. 1) became the first American to win the junior French Open and has since competed in each major Grand Slam tournament.
Axel Geller (2017 World Junior No. 1) retired after attending Stanford University.
Sebastian Korda (2018 World Junior No. 1) made his debut at the US Open and went on to compete at the French Open in 2020 only losing to defending champion Rafael Nadal. Korda later reached the fourth round during his debut at Wimbledon and upset world No. 12 at the 2022 Australian Open. Most recently he reached a career high ranking of No. 15 in 2024.
Shintaro Mochizuki (2019 World Junior No. 1) is currently the No. 4 ranked Japanese player.
Jerry Shang (2021 World Junior No. 1) reached his first ATP tour-level semifinal at the Japan Open after winning his first ATP title at the Open Citta della Disfida Challenger.
Rei Sakamota (2024 World Junior No. 1) made his Masters main draw debut at the 2025 Miami Open.
Sonobe had a standout year in the ITF circuit, achieving a perfect 9-0 record in singles during the 2025 season across the junior and professional levels. Most notably, she became the first female Japanese Australian Open Junior Champion. IMG Academy had back-to-back Jr. Grand Slam Champions, following Sakamoto’s claim to the same title in 2024. Sonobe had two Top-100 wins in Abu Dhabi, has won her last 16 consecutive sets, and is now 3-1 against Top-100 players.
Additionally, the tennis program saw success at the IMG Academy International Tennis Championships. Teodora Kostovic brought home the Championship title in the Girls 18s singles, IMG Academy’s first-ever back-to-back Girls 18s Singles Champion in tournament history, following Sonobe’s win in 2023.
About IMG Academy
IMG Academy is the world’s leading sports education brand, providing a holistic education model that empowers student-athletes to win their future, preparing them for college and for life. IMG Academy provides growth opportunities for all student-athletes through an innovative suite of on-campus and online experiences:
Boarding school and camps, via a state-of-the-art campus in Bradenton, Fla.
Online coaching via the IMG Academy+ brand, with a focus on personal development through the lens of sport and performance
Online college recruiting, via the NCSA brand, providing content, tools, coaching and access to a network of 40,000 college coaches
To learn more about IMG Academy and its on-campus and online experiences, visit www.imgacademy.com.
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