The European U17 Championships are one of the earliest chances to catch a glimpse of the rising stars of the future.

We have seen our fair share of ‘wonderkids’ showcase their talent over the years, here is a list of a few notable names.

Viktor Axelsen – Gold (2009) 

The Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medallist and former World Champion was in an all-Danish final with Kim Bruun. A year later he won the World Junior Championships, followed by the European Junior Championship gold the following year. Axelsen was destined for greatness, but we saw it first at the European U17 Championships.  

Gabriela & Stefani Stoeva – Bronze (2009) 

The reigning two-time European Champions had to settled for bronze on the podium 12 years ago. However, the younger sister, Stefani Stoeva, returned in 2011 and secured a gold in the women’s singles. This goes to show that eyes should be on the whole podium this year for future gems. 

Line Christophersen – Gold (2016) 

Still just 21, Christophersen met Marin in this year’s 2021 European Championships women’s singles final. Taking the silver, her journey to this point from her European U17 gold is nothing short of remarkable.  

In 2018, Christophersen won the European Junior gold before winning the silver at the World Junior Championships. Just three years later, she finds herself in a major final against Carolina Marin. 

Read the full article in the latest BEC Magazine