Fresh faces do not always arrive quietly, and the International Tennis Federation has just handed a louder microphone to five players who turned strong ITF runs into attention-grabbing breakthroughs this season.
The ITF panel announced its Class of 2025 this week, a group selected for notable seasons on the ITF World Tennis Tour and for flashes that suggest bigger things are coming on the WTA and ATP stages.
ITF Names Class Of 2025
“promising and breakthrough”
International Tennis Federation
At the center of the ITF list stands Vicky Mboko, a 19-year-old Canadian whose season included a run of consecutive ITF titles and a major uptick in form that fed into tour-level results and growing media attention.
Mboko claimed four consecutive ITF World Tennis Tour titles early in the season, went on to win a WTA 1000 tournament in Montreal and reached the third round at the French Open, a rapid rise that demands notice.
Janice Tjen, listed by the ITF as part of this class, compiled an impressive streak by winning five ITF World Tennis Tour titles in a row and stringing together a 27-match winning run that underlined her form and hunger for bigger stages.
Why Mboko And Tjen Stand Out
Tjen also earned wider headlines at the U.S. Open by becoming the first Indonesian in a Grand Slam main draw since 2004 and by defeating the No. 24 seed Veronika Kudermetova, a win that showcased her ability to raise her level on the biggest days.
Her season did not stop there, as she collected her first WTA Tour trophy in November, a milestone that converts potential into pedigree and gives her a platform to build higher ranking weeks into next season.
Lilli Tagger, the youngest name on the list at 17, pushed through as a wild-card to reach the WTA final in Jiujiang, China, becoming the youngest WTA Tour-level finalist this season and signalling a talent worth tracking closely.
Depth Of The Class And What It Means
On the men’s side, Arnaud Bailly of Belgium posted a remarkable 60-19 record while reaching nine finals in 2025, climbing from No. 802 to just outside the top 200, an ascent that shows how quickly form can translate into ranking points.
Luka Mikrut, a 21-year-old from Croatia, picked up four ITF World Tennis Tour titles in March and April without dropping a set, a clean statement of dominance at that level and an intriguing sign for his next steps on the tour.
The ITF’s Class of 2025 follows a familiar pattern of spotlighting players who translate ITF success into breakthrough moments, joining past honorees such as Mirra Andreeva, Iva Jovic, Learner Tien and Jakub Mensik in a lineage of emerging stars.
For fans and coaches the list is both a scoreboard and a scouting report, highlighting players who have not only won matches but who have built streaks, taken out seeded opponents and earned hardware that changes expectations for their careers.
My Tennis Expert believes these recognitions matter whether you follow junior pathways or dream of the next household name, because they mark the moments when potential turns into headline-grabbing results and when players begin to face tougher strategic choices.
Expect Mboko and Tjen to draw more attention at WTA events, and for Bailly, Mikrut and Tagger to push deeper into tour draws, with rankings, seedings and entry lists shifting as they collect more points and experience throughout the season.
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Christoph Friedrich is a German tennis player and coach currently residing in Oakland, California. He began his tennis journey at the age of eight and has since dedicated his life to the sport. After working as a tennis coach and hitting partner in New York City for eight years, Christoph decided to share his knowledge and experience with tennis players around the world by creating the My Tennis Expert blog. His goal is to make tennis education accessible to everyone and help players select the best equipment for their game, from racquets and strings to shoes and overgrips. Christoph's extensive research and expertise in tennis technology make him a valuable resource for players of all levels.
