Teen Mika Stojsavljevic stuns former champ Sofia Kenin in Hong Kong

Tennis | WTA Hong Kong 2026 | Mika Stojsavljevic downs Sofia Kenin to reach the second round.

Mika Stojsavljevic, a 17-year-old British teenager ranked 411th in the world, defeated former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the first round of the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open on Wednesday.

The score was 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

Stojsavljevic entered the tournament as a lucky loser after Canada's Leylah Fernandez withdrew.

She learned she would play only one hour before the match.

Kenin, 25, won the Australian Open in 2020 and has been ranked as high as No. 4 in the world.

She entered the match ranked around 200 places above Stojsavljevic.

The match lasted just over two hours.

Stojsavljevic took the first set 6-3 with aggressive serving and heavy groundstrokes.

Kenin fought back to take the second set 6-4, forcing a decider.

In the third set, Stojsavljevic broke Kenin's serve late and served out the match at 6-4.

It was Stojsavljevic's first WTA Tour main-draw win.

She had lost in the final round of qualifying for the tournament before getting the late call.

The victory moved Stojsavljevic into the top 350 in the live rankings.

Stojsavljevic is from London.

In 2024, she became the first British player in 15 years to win the US Open girls' singles title.

Heather Watson was the last Brit to do that, in 2009.

Stojsavljevic also made her Billie Jean King Cup debut for Great Britain in April 2026.

She defeated current world No. 36 Talia Gibson in straight sets in that match, which took place in Melbourne against Australia.

Her playing style is described as all-or-nothing.

She relies on a dominant serve and heavy groundstrokes, using her height to generate free points.

The strategy is high-risk, high-reward.

When it does not work, analysts say she is still searching for a consistent Plan B.

Stojsavljevic's second-round opponent was Turkey's Zeynep Sonmez, ranked No. 67 in the world.

Sonmez leads on most 2026 stats, including return points won and break-point conversion.

Stojsavljevic has been more clutch on saving break points and stronger overall on serve.

Analysts predicted Sonmez would win in three sets, citing her experience and agile footwork.

They noted that Sonmez's own serve is less a weapon and more a way to start the point, which can leave her vulnerable on second serves.

The match took place on Thursday, November 5, 2026.

Sonmez defeated Stojsavljevic 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 in a little over two hours.

Stojsavljevic was unable to back up her maiden WTA Tour win with another victory.

Sonmez advanced to the quarter-finals, where she faced Claire Liu, who had beaten Britain's Katie Boulter.

The Hong Kong Open is a WTA 250 event.

It runs until Sunday, November 8, 2026.

Three-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist Sorana Cîrstea is the top seed.

Alexandra Eala is the second seed.

The WTA Finals at Indian Wells start on the same day as the Hong Kong Open final.

Stojsavljevic's win over Kenin was widely reported in British and international media.

The BBC, Sky Sports, and Britwatch Sports all covered the upset.

Tennis fans and analysts noted the significance of a 17-year-old ranked outside the top 400 beating a Grand Slam champion on short notice.