2019 Scouting Report: Whitney Osuigwe shifts focus to WTA ranks

She was on top of junior tennis less than 18 months ago, and now, 16-year-old American Whitney Osuigwe is ready to tackle the WTA. 

In November, the former junior French Open champion and World No.1 clinched the USTA's reciprocal wildcard for the first Grand Slam of the year, thanks to her performance over the final weeks of 2018.

Before she makes her debut at Melbourne Park, the rising American had an exclusive chat with wtatennis.com -- read on to learn some fast facts about the youngest competitor in the Australian Open women's draw.

1. She built her tennis from the ground up.

A well-rounded athlete in her childhood, Osuigwe kept busy growing up by playing basketball and baseball in addition to tennis, and was also a ballet dancer.

It didn't take long, however, for the little yellow ball to steal her heart. 

"I started playing only tennis by the age of 7 because I fell in love with sport," she said. "I liked being on the court all by myself and having to figure out everything in my own."

The American had family ties to her current athletic pursuit from the very start, as her father and coach Desmond, a native of Nigeria, was a touring professional on the ATP Tour, and started teaching tennis at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. in 1997.

His daughter's diverse athletic pursuits nonetheless shine through on the tennis court, as the teenager relies on quick feet and hands with a counterpunching style. 

Of her tennis, Osuigwe assessed: "I think my biggest strengths in court are my movement and forehand. My favorite surface is red clay. I love being able to slide in it and it’s a slow surface - so I can get more balls back, as well as have more time to set up and hit my ball."

2. In the junior ranks, she was an immediate force...

Named the ITF Junior World Champion at last year's French Open, Osuigwe posted a monster season in the junior ranks in 2017.

In addition to becoming the first American junior in 28 years to win the girls' singles title at Roland Garros, she claimed six titles in total - which also included the prestigious Eddie Herr and Orange Bowl titles to end the year. 

"It’s hard to put in words what exactly it means to have finished No.1 this year and become Junior World Champion," she said when she was honored. 

This is very surprising and I could not be any happier. But I’d also like to think this is the result of the all hard work my team and I have gone through in the last year. I’m excited for what’s to come, and I hope we can keep up with the good results." 

Winner of the USTA's girls' 18-and-under nationals last August, the 16-year-old was rewarded with a spot in a women's Grand Slam draw for the first time at the US Open, falling to Camila Giorgi in the first round as a wildcard, 6-4, 6-1.

Nonetheless, Osuigwe racked up wins in the fall against opponents both older and with vastly more experience, and she posted a 12-4 professional singles record following her Grand Slam main draw debut to end the season.

3. ...and in the pro ranks, she's been a quick study.

Osuigwe's year-end run included her first career title at the ITF $80,000 event in Tyler, Texas, and a quarterfinal appearance at the WTA 125K event in Houston, where she learned she clinched the USTA's Australian Open wildcard.

In that time, the right-hander earned notable victories against former World No.7 Belinda Bencic, former Top 20 and Top 25 compatriots Varvara Lepchenko and Christina McHale, and former Top 100 players Kurumi Nara and Naomi Broady. 

"I learned a lot [from the US Open]," Osuigwe revealed. "That was my first main draw of a Grand Slam so it was a little overwhelming, but now I know what to expect and I feel a lot more comfortable.

"When I learned I got the wildcard [for Melbourne], I was very excited and couldn’t wait to come to Australia for the first time."

To begin 2019, the American kicked off her year with another taste of tennis at the highest level, as she served as an alternate in the season-opening Hopman Cup in Perth.

The teenager stepped in for two-time Grand Slam champion Garbiñe Muguruza in Spain's mixed doubles match against France, and partnered former French Open finalist David Ferrer.

4. She's ready to take her place the United States' generation next...

After a dominant showing in 2017 and finishing on top of the world, Osuigwe dove head-first into the professional ranks last season, and competed in just two junior tournaments.

In what she confirmed was her last junior match, Osuigwe fell in the first round of the girls' singles at Wimbledon to eventual champion Iga Swiatek - who is coincidentally also making her Australian Open debut after qualifying for the women's draw. 

Related: Getting to know you: Introducing Melbourne 2019's Grand Slam debutantes

"Playing juniors was very fun, and everything kind of happened really fast," Osuigwe reflected.

"I went to the French Open [in 2017] looking forward to just playing at what is one of my favorite Grand Slams. When I won, I couldn’t believe it. I was so happy. I had a very good junior career and I think that has helped me start to pave my path into the pro level."

Currently ranked World No.198, Osuigwe is the youngest of 28 Americans - which includes four teenagers - in the Top 200.

Osuigwe's teenaged peers in the WTA rankings include 2017 US Open girls' champion and current World No.87 Amanda Anisimova, who already booked her place in the second round in Melbourne with a first-round win over Monica Niculescu on Monday; and 18-year-old Claire Liu, whom Osuigwe defeated to win her French Open girls' title.

5. ...and she has them all in her corner.

With another wildcard, Osuigwe made her WTA main draw debut at last year's Miami Open, where she lost to Liu in the opening round. 

"I have good relationships with a lot of the other up-and-coming Americans. When I see them doing well, I’m always happy for them," she said.

"We definitely push each other, because when one does well, we always know that we can do the same. Seeing their success on the pro tour has showed me that I can do it, too.

"With that being said, everyone has their own success at different time times in their careers, so for now I’m just working hard and focusing on developing my game."

The 16-year-old thus officially begins the next phase of her career in Tuesday's second match on Court 15 at Melbourne Park against another rising teenager from North America: Canada's Bianca Andreescu.

Eighteen-year-old Andreescu is coming off a sizzling start to 2019 herself, as she upset both Caroline Wozniacki and Venus Williams to reach her maiden tour final at the ASB Classic in Auckland.

Whatever the result of her second career Grand Slam match, however, Osuigwe is looking to use her experience in Australia as a building block for the rest of her year. 

"My goals are to just keep developing my game - and I want to be Top 100 at the end of year," she said.

"This is the level everyone wants to be at, so I’m just going to keep learning and see how far I can go."