15 Year Old Dazzles at U.S. Open

Catherine Cartan Bellis, born April 8, 1999, was recently a contender in the U.S. Open. At only fifteen years old, she was the youngest competitor since Anna Kournikova, from Russia, who reached the fourth round in 1996, according to BBC Sports.

Catherine, CiCi, as she’s called, was ranked 1,208th, and won seven games in a row at her first tour-level event, says ESPN. On the 16th this month, she lost to Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan in three sets, 6-3, 0-6, and 6-2, according to the New York Times.

In the New York Time’s article, Catherine said. “I think what surprised me is that I could really, like, stay with these pros. And I think today if I had, you know, played a little bit better, it would have been a different result.”