To excel at any sport, it is necessary to devote the majority of one’s time and attention to practice and competition.  For many athletic stars, the practice regimen that set them on the course to success began while they were children, and they either adhered to it because they loved the sport, or because their parents made them.  Whatever their reasons, those who have reached the pinnacle of their respective sports, often point to those first years of early morning practices and weekend travel to competitions, as the foundation of their athletic careers.  In the world of tennis, Open level players often begin competing professionally in their late teens, and hit their stride 3 to 4 years later.  However, most of the players functioning at the top of their game today were already making waves as junior players.  Below are the top four female Junior ITF players who will most likely shift the balance of power as they make a bid for Open Division prominence over the course of the next few years.

An-Sophie Mestach

The current #1 in the junior division, An-Sophie was born in Ghent, Belgium, and currently trains with coach Ann Devries in Destelbergen, Belgium.  She won the Junior Australian Open title in both singles and doubles in 2011 and also won the Copa Casablanca tournament.  She reached the finals in doubles in the junior division of the US Open with partner Silvia Njiric in 2010.  She also won Bronze at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.  She achieved a WTA ranking of 408 in singles in April of 2011.  She is left-handed and is known for her hard court play.

Irina Khromacheva

Ranked #2, Irina Khromecheva hails from Moscow, Russia, and trains in Maillen, Belgium with coach Olivier Jeunehomme.  She began playing tennis at the age of four.  She has won a number of junior titles, and was ranked #1 in June of 2010.  She reached the finals of Wimbledon in both singles and doubles in 2010, though she did not win either tournament.  She won the doubles tournament of the Junior French Open with partner Maryna Zanevska in 2011.  She also won ITF tournaments in Brazil and Italy in 2011.  She is left-handed and plays equally well on all surfaces.

Ashleigh Barty

Ranked #3 in the world, Ashley Bartley was born in Ipswich, Australia and trains there with coaches Jim Joyce and Nicole Pratt.  She has won multiple junior titles in both singles and doubles.  She won her first Junior Grand Slam in 2011 at Wimbledon, defeating junior #2, Irina Khromacheva.  She excels on clay courts and is right-handed.

Eugenie Bouchard

Ranked #4, Eugenie Bouchard was born in Westmount, Quebec, Canada and began playing tennis at age 5.  She currently trains in Montreal, Quebec at Tennis Canada’s National Training Center.  She has won multiple ITF Tournaments, including singles titles in Australia and Croatia in 2011.  She won the doubles championship at Wimbledon in 2011 with partner Grace Min.  She is right-handed and favors hard court play.

Though these rankings may not last past the end of the month, each of these players is worthy of attention.  All four of them have dedicated their young lives to tennis.  Rather than hang out with friends, or joining a late ski trip, they are fighting their way to the top, and with their particular brand of dedication, one sincerely hopes that they get there.

Dee Mason