Under 18 Champions Crowned on Sunday at Sobeys Stadium

Jannik Sinner, Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer were not the only champions lifting trophies on Sunday at Sobeys Stadium in Toronto.

The finals of the 2023 Under 18 Fischer Outdoor National Championships took place last weekend at the same venue where the ATP’s best were battling it out for the National Bank Open crown.

The early rounds of the event took place at the Ontario Racquet Club in Mississauga, ON before moving to Sobeys Stadium for the finals.

The boy’s title was won by second seed Nicolas Arsenault of Ontario, who beat top seed Junghee You in straight sets in the final.

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Arseneault need to battle through three-setters in both the quarter (against twin brother and doubles partner Mikael) and semifinals before defeating You 6-3, 6-4 in the final. He beat three of the top five seeds on his way to the title. You had lost more than four games in a match just once in his first four matches.

Nicolas and Mikael are the younger siblings of Ariane Arseneault, who is currently playing for Auburn in the NCAA.

Clémence Mercier of Quebec was the surprise champion of the girl’s singles. Coming in unseeded, she upset third seed Eliana Kook in her opening match. In the final, rallied from a set down to defeat top seed Naomi Xu 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.

The week prior to the national championships, Xu had competed in the pre-qualifying competition for the National Bank Open in Montreal, losing to sister Annabelle.

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Mercier, who is just 15 years old, won both the Quebec U16s and U18s earlier this year.

She also nearly doubled-up at the national championships, reaching the girl’s doubles final with fellow Quebecer Josie Usereau, but they were beaten in the title match by second seeds Raphaelle Leroux (QC) and Gianna Oboniye (AB).

The only top seeds to win the title were in the boys doubles, where Adam Faragcao of Alberta and Stéphane Pierre-Jo Kamendjé were victorious, edging out Alec Daniel Anghel and Matthew Overvelde (both ON) 10-8 in the match tiebreak.

The Under 16 and Under 12 Fischer Outdoor National Championships begin later this week.