Teenager Stuns Former Grand Slam Champion Sofia Kenin in Hong Kong

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

Mika Stojsavljevic came into the draw late as a lucky loser, beating former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin to reach round two.

The 17-year-old Brit defeated Kenin 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in a match that lasted two hours and 19 minutes.

Stojsavljevic entered the Hong Kong Open ranked 411th in the world.

Kenin was ranked 224 places higher on the WTA Tour.

The teenager from London only had an hour to prepare for the match.

Canadian breakout Leylah Fernandez was originally slated to face Kenin, but withdrew with a left shoulder injury just shortly before the walk-on.

Stojsavljevic was restored to the tournament as a lucky loser.

Despite the last-minute notice, Stojsavljevic seized early control to build a one-set advantage and an early break in the second.

Kenin clawed back to level things later in the frame, but she could not hold onto that momentum.

Stojsavljevic surged ahead 4-1 in the decider.

Kenin narrowed the gap with a late break, but Stojsavljevic sealed the upset on her second match point.

The match produced 11 service breaks over the two-hour, 19-minute contest.

"I kind of just went out and swung today," Stojsavljevic said.

"I know she's a Grand Slam champion and it was never going to be an easy match, but I believed in myself and it worked out."

With the win, Stojsavljevic scored her first WTA main-draw victory.

The result also added another milestone to a breakout 2026 season.

Earlier this year, she made her Billie Jean King Cup debut for Great Britain against Australia in Melbourne, defeating current world No. 36 Talia Gibson in straight sets.

She also reached the quarter-finals at the Birmingham Open.

In 2024, Stojsavljevic became the first Brit in 15 years to win the US Open girls' title, following Heather Watson's triumph back in 2009.

Stojsavljevic now sits just outside the top 350 in the live rankings after the victory over Kenin.

Next up, Stojsavljevic faced world No. 67 Zeynep Sonmez in Thursday's second round.

Sonmez leads on most stats — return, and converting on her break point chances — but Stojsavljevic has proved to be more clutch at saving break points and has been stronger overall on serve.

The Brit's all-or-nothing style of play means she relies a lot on serving dominance and can count on free points, backed up with heavy groundstrokes.

Her height gives her a lot of advantages, but her strategy can be high-risk, high-reward, and when it does not work, she is still searching for a consistent Plan B.