Jon Wertheim has tipped one lesser-known teenager on the WTA Tour to become a real threat in the coming months, after enjoying a breakthrough 2024 thus far.
It has been a great year for women’s tennis, particularly in America, as three different players from the US have all reached Grand Slam finals, two of which came back with the title.
As such, it is easy to laud their progression and steady dominance as a tennis nation.
Alas, Wertheim, a famed journalist within the sport, has opted to herald an Australian after watching the first few rounds of the Canadian Open.
Jon Wertheim says there’s a top young player on the WTA Tour to look out for
Speaking to Tennis Channel Live last night after another day of action in Montreal for the WTA, his attention actually turned to a player who had just seen their run cut short.
However, it did not come without an impressive win, as Maya Joint stunned the newly-crowned Washington Open champion Leylah Fernandez in her home country.
Naturally, the Canadian was not at full capacity after a tough week in DC, but that does not detract from the 19-year-old’s comprehensive performance.
It certainly caught the eye of Wertheim, who encouraged other fans to watch out for her: “72 hours before she wins the biggest title of her career in brutal circumstances, she had to play five sets over the weekend, and you get the feeling that the fatigue and the occasion became too much.
“Maya Joint, really nice player, she is still a teenager and now in the top 50.
“She has a lot of game, and I give her a lot of credit for rebounding a week later. This was not peak Leylah Fernandez, her home tournament and a lot going on with her and not much time to recover. Maya Joint played a composed match, very comprehensive – keep an eye on this name, she is rising up the rankings very quickly.”
Who is Maya Joint?
The last 12 months have been hugely transformative for Joint, speeding through the early stages of her career to reach her current ranking.
This all started at the 2024 US Open, where she came through qualifying and secured her first WTA Tour-level and Grand Slam victory against Laura Siegemund.
Since then, this teenage sensation has gone from strength to strength, making debuts in all four majors now whilst also claiming her maiden WTA title in Eastbourne.
Joint even beat Emma Raducanu in Eastbourne, leading the Brit to praise her fellow starlet.
Her formative years in college have forged this young gem into a fierce competitor, and the expectation is that the sky truly is the limit for Joint.
