From Junior National champion to the Billie Jean King Cup – Mika Stojsavljevic’s journey to the GB team
• 4 minute read
In March 2025, Mika Stojsavljevic was getting ready to compete against Hannah Klugman in the final of the 18U Lexus Junior National Championships.
The London-native came back from a set down to defeat junior Roland Garros finalist Klugman and lift her first national title to go with her US Open trophy.
Fast-forward to March 2026 and Stojsavljevic has been selected to represent the senior Billie Jean King Cup team in their Qualifier tie against Australia.
It’s a milestone achievement and moment for the young British star, who also made her main draw Wimbledon debut back in July.
Ahead of the junior nationals and Billie Jean King Cup, we caught up with LTA Women’s National Coach, Katie O’Brien, to chat about her journey, successes and GB selection.
O’Brien has played a key role in Stojsavljevic’s development through the junior pathway and has been there for many of the young Brit’s biggest moments on court.
I think if you asked Mika, ‘what is your proudest moment so far?’, she would probably say winning junior US Open, getting selected for the Billie Jean King Cup team and winning the Junior Nationals last year.
“I vividly remember the first time I saw Mika,” O’Brien said. “I had just started in my coaching role at the LTA, around November 2017, and we had an inter-regional green ball camp at Loughborough, with lots of the best kids in the country aged 10 and under.
“I remember Mika, she was always the most keen member of the group. She was the first one with her hand up whenever we asked a question.
“She played at Ealing Tennis Club as well, so sometimes I would pop in early in the morning just to see how she was getting on.
“She’d be doing a lesson with Andrew Lewandowski and just had so much enthusiasm. The love of the game and her competitiveness shone through more than anything.”
During her early junior years, Stojsavljevic spent time training at the Loughborough University Tennis Academy with support from the LTA.
It was there that she really honed her skills in becoming a top junior player before going on to achieve something no British player had done for 15 years – win the girls’ singles junior US Open trophy.
“I think that was when she started to become really internationally relevant,” O’Brien said, reflecting on her time in Loughborough.
“She had a lot of weapons when she was younger, but it was around that time she managed to refine them into more of a game style.
“It was a whirlwind for Mika as she then went on to win the junior US Open. She’d had some good results before, but that was part of a golden summer where she also won the 16U Summer Cup.
“I maintain to this day, when she played Iva Jovic in the semi-final – now a top 20 WTA player - she won the first set 6-0, and it was one of the best sets of tennis I have ever seen.
With her successes building on the international stage, closer to home, Stojsavljevic set her sights on winning a first junior national title.
The Lexus Junior National Championships is the highest level of domestic junior competition in Great Britain, with past champions including the likes of Andy Murray, Heather Watson, Dan Evans, and more.
Find out more about the Lexus Junior National Championships
Stojsavljevic is one of a few rising British stars in the game currently, and in a standout 18U final, put in an incredible performance against Klugman.
Klugman had the chance to serve for the match at 5-4 in the third, but Stojsavljevic showed her grit and determination to fight back and win 3-6, 6-2, 7-5.
If she’s given the opportunity to play, she’s not intimidated by anyone or anything. She’s always a dangerous proposition. When she’s firing on all cylinders, she’s hard to stop.
“It was a really high-quality match,” O’Brien said. “One of the most impressive things for me was Mika’s resilience. She came from behind a few times in that match and historically she might not have responded as well to those situations.
“In the last few years, she’s made a lot of improvements to her game, but I think her mentality has matured more than anything.
“Junior Nationals is quite unique. There’s extra pressure on managing the expectations, playing your peers, and competing against people you’re quite familiar with.
“We all say it doesn’t matter too much about what happens at Nationals. It’s all about development, but in terms of building resilience, I think it’s one of the best tournaments for that.
“I think if you asked Mika, ‘what is your proudest moment so far?’, she would probably say winning junior US Open, getting selected for the Billie Jean King Cup team and winning the Junior Nationals last year.
“It’s so inspirational. I think that was the great thing about our best junior players committing to playing our flagship domestic event.
“To see what’s possible and the levels of the best juniors in the country then getting those opportunities to step up to the next stage is quite impactful.”
Stojsavljevic has made her transition to the professional tours with impressive results. Currently working with LTA National Coach Jeremy Bates, last year she won the Lexus British Pro Series Birmingham and made the final of the W100 Lexus Wrexham Open in October.
Her selection in the Billie Jean King Cup team – joining Harriet Dart, Katie Swan and Jodie Burrage – is a well-earned reward for the progress she’s made in her short career so far.
“I’m extremely proud,” O’Brien said. “I know she’s really looking forward to being part of the team. I think some of the experiences she’s had at junior team events will help her in that regard.
“The great thing about the environment at the National Tennis Centre is that Mika gets to train with a lot of the senior players, so she’ll already know the girls quite well.
“If she’s given the opportunity to play, she’s not intimidated by anyone or anything. She’s always a dangerous proposition. When she’s firing on all cylinders, she’s hard to stop.”
Great Britain will face Australia in the Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers on the 10-11 April in Melbourne.
