Two Bulgarian juniors will face each other in the US Open boys’ singles final, marking a historic moment for the country’s tennis. Ivan Ivanov and Alexander Vasilev secured their places in the title match after impressive victories in New York, ensuring that for the first time ever, a Grand Slam junior final will be contested entirely by Bulgarians.
World No.1 junior and Wimbledon champion Ivan Ivanov booked his second straight appearance in a Grand Slam final by defeating Kazakhstan’s Zangar Nurlanuly 6:1, 6:4. The 16-year-old from Varna made a flying start, racing to 4:0. Although he briefly faltered with two double faults, he saved five break points before holding serve. Serving at 5:1, Ivanov converted his second set point after a forehand error from his opponent, wrapping up the opener in just 26 minutes.
Nurlanuly left the court for a brief pause before the second set, but the Bulgarian teenager quickly broke for 2:1 with sharp play at the net and consolidated his lead. Although the Kazakh responded with a break of his own, Ivanov immediately struck back for 4:3. Serving for the match at 5:4, he squandered four match points, only to regroup in the following game. Behind his seventh ace, Ivanov clinched victory on his fifth opportunity with a deft drop shot, celebrating with a loud “Vamos!” and tossing his racket skyward.
Fifth seed Alexander Vasilev followed by producing a remarkable turnaround against Brazil’s Luis Guto Miguel, winning 2:6, 6:1, 6:0 after an hour and 38 minutes. The left-hander from Sofia struggled early, dropping his first two service games and failing to recover in the opener. The second set, however, saw a complete shift in momentum. Vasilev took control with aggressive play, breaking repeatedly to surge to 5:1 before leveling the match.
In the decider, the 18-year-old cousin of Grigor Dimitrov overwhelmed his opponent, racing to a 5:0 lead. Serving for the final, Vasilev faced some resistance and missed two chances, including one with a backhand that landed just wide. On his third match point, however, Miguel netted a return, sealing Vasilev’s place in the championship match. Despite nine double faults, the Bulgarian’s seven breaks of serve proved decisive.
Ivanov’s rise has already drawn comparisons with Dimitrov, who won junior titles at Wimbledon and the US Open 17 years ago. He is only the second Bulgarian boy to reach this stage and the fifth overall player from the country to capture a junior Grand Slam, following in the footsteps of Manuela and Magdalena Maleeva, as well as Sesil Karatantcheva.
The all-Bulgarian final between Ivanov and Vasilev is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. on Court 12 of the Billie Jean King Tennis Center and will be streamed live on HBO Max. This unprecedented clash ensures a Bulgarian champion in New York, a landmark for the nation’s tennis.