National Tennis Tournament Begins Saturday, August 2 at Barnes Tennis Center
SAN DIEGO – (July 30, 2025) – Seeded players have been announced for the United States Tennis Association Billie Jean King Girls’ 16s and 18s National Championships scheduled for Saturday, August 2 through Sunday, August 10, 2025 at Barnes Tennis Center, 4490 W. Point Loma Blvd., San Diego, CA, 92107.
Tournament officials named 18-year-old Akasha Urhobo of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., as the No. 1 seed in the Girls’ 18s singles division. Urhobo has competed on the International Tennis Federation World Tennis Tour and USTA Pro Circuit this year. She is currently ranked No. 429 in the WTA singles rankings after reaching a career-high No. 282 earlier this year.
Local entrant Julieta Pareja of Carlsbad, Calif., is the No. 2 seed in the Girls’ 18s singles draw. Pareja, 16, is No. 1 in the ITF junior rankings. She reached the Wimbledon Girls’ singles final this year. The No. 3 seed is 18-year-old Monika Ekstrand of Delray Beach, Fla., who is currently ranked No. 355 in the WTA singles rankings.
Carlota Moreno of Knoxville, Tenn., is the Girls’ 16s top seed. She is currently No. 1 in the USTA Girls’ 16s rankings. Earlier this month, the 16-year-old Moreno captured third-place in the Girls’ 18s singles competition of the USTA National Clay Court Championships in Mount Pleasant, S.C.
Armira Kockinis of La Habra Heights, Calif., is seeded second and Welles Newman of Boca Raton, Fla., is seeded third.
To view the complete list of seeded players for all tournament divisions, click here.
“With such a strong player field, we are anticipating another great tournament this year at Barnes Tennis Center,” said Tournament Director Lornie Kuhle. “Fans will have an opportunity to watch the tennis stars of the future. These are the best of the best players in the United States and we look forward to nine days of amazing competition.”
Nearly 400 of the top junior tennis players in the country, aged 16 and 18 and under, will compete for the title of National Champion. In addition, wild cards for direct entry into the 2025 US Open will be awarded to the tournament’s top finishers.
The Girls’ 16s event will begin on Saturday, August 2 and conclude with the singles and doubles championships on Saturday, August 9. The Girls’ 18s tournament will get underway Sunday, August 3 and conclude with the singles and doubles championships on Sunday, August 10. Both divisions feature 192-player singles draws and 96-team doubles draws.
Admission is free each day of the tournament and there is no charge for parking at Barnes Tennis Center. Matches are scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. (PDT) each day. (Starting times subject to change) To view the official tournament website, please go to: www.ustagirlsnationals.com.
Early-round tournament matches will also be played beginning Saturday August 2 through Wednesday August 6 at Balboa Tennis Club, 2221 Morley Field Drive, San Diego, CA 92104 and University of San Diego, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, CA 92110.
Admission and parking is free at both sites. For USD parking information click here
About USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 16s and 18s National Championships – The USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 16s and 18s National Championships are the premiere hard court tennis tournaments for amateur and professional American girls aged 16 and 18 and under in the United States. Tournament participants, who represent nearly every state in the United States, have been endorsed by their respective USTA Section or have received USTA special exemptions based on their results in qualifying tournaments, junior rankings, or results on the WTA Tour or International Tennis Federation. This year marks the 107th Anniversary of this historic event.
The Girls 18s singles champion will receive a wild card for direct entry into the 2025 US Open at Flushing Meadows, New York. The 18s singles runner-up will receive a wild card into the qualifying draw of the US Open. The 18s Doubles Champions will receive a wild card into the main doubles draw of the US Open and the winner of the Girls 16s Championships will receive a wild card for direct entry into the Junior US Open.
About Barnes Tennis Center – Barnes Tennis Center is a three-time award-winning multi-racquet sports facility in San Diego. It was constructed between 1995 and 1997 and named after its lead donor family, the “George E. Barnes Family Junior Tennis Center.” Youth Tennis San Diego, owner and operator of Barnes Tennis Center, has brought the game of tennis right to the backyards of thousands of children and adults across San Diego.
