19-Year-Old Australian Star Maya Joint Shatters Ash Barty’s WTA 1000 Record

Maya Joint‘s remarkable journey in professional tennis has reached a significant milestone, as this promising teenager has set a new Australian record previously held by Ash Barty.

Joint has now become the youngest Australian to secure a victory at the WTA 1000 level, following her win against Spain’s Carlota Martinez Cirez in the first round of the Madrid Open.

After a tense second set, the American-born star came through to defeat local wildcard Cirez with a score of 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.

The retired Australian tennis icon Barty had held the previous record since 2017, when she achieved her feat at the Miami Open at the age of 20 years and 330 days.

Barty’s record was established when she was 20 years and 330 days old, but Joint has now eclipsed that at just 19 years and five days.

This marks Joint’s second appearance in a WTA 100 event after she faced defeat in straight sets against Romania’s Sorana Cirstea at Indian Wells.

A year ago, Joint was ranked 269th in the world; her current position of 78th will qualify her automatically for the upcoming French Open.

In the second round, she is set to clash with world No.10 Emma Navarro on Thursday (AEST).

Navarro, who received a bye in the first round at the Madrid Open, is eager to maintain her momentum on clay after her success at the Mérida Open in March.

In other results, Ajla Tomljanovic and Kim Birrell were both knocked out in the first round. Tomljanovic lost 6-3, 1-6, 7-5 to her lower-ranked opponent Rebeka Masarova, while Kim Birrell fell to America’s Peyton Stearns with a score of 5-7, 6-3, 6-3.

Daria Kasatkina stands as the only other Australian woman progressing past the first round, preparing to take on America’s Alycia Parks.