After a busy 2024, Kayla Cross has a lot to be glad about forward of the vacations.
“I’m feeling wholesome,” stated the Canadian, throughout a function interview on Match Level Canada.
“I feel the previous few years I’ve at all times had these little dips of being injured or sick. Now that I’m feeling good, I’ve been on a roll.”
“On a roll” is placing it frivolously. The 19-year-old London, ON native has achieved new career-high rankings in each singles and doubles to shut out the season. In singles, she completed runner-up on the Championnats Banque Nationale de Granby in July. Only one month later, she gained her first skilled singles title on the W35 Saskatoon Challenger, defeating fellow Canadian Mia Kupres within the ultimate.
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Cross gained additional floor within the fall with a runner-up end on the Tevlin Challenger in Toronto and has saved competing ever since. With 52 singles wins on the 12 months, one title, and two finals, she has pushed her singles rating 378 spots to a career-high 266.
In doubles, the Canadian has proven her versatility, teaming up with a number of companions all year long to nice success. She gained consecutive titles on clay with Ariana Arseneault in Punta Cana in September, captured each the W35 Edmonton and W75 Calgary Nationwide Financial institution Challenger alongside Maribella Zamarippa in October, and only recently gained one other ITF occasion in Miami with American Anna Rogers.
She credit her adaptability to why she’s managed to win with a number of gamers.
“I’m fairly open in the case of taking part in doubles. I attempt to see what they wish to do, what patterns they like, so I feel that’s why I’ve discovered a lot success with completely different gamers.”
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With six doubles titles in 2024, she’s now as much as a hundred and eightieth on the planet. Whereas the large rating enchancment in each singles and doubles has paid dividends, it was by no means a focus for her in 2024.
“This 12 months was extra about getting wholesome and doing issues alone. There have been no huge rating objectives that I had placed on myself. It clearly labored out fairly nicely,” laughed the Canadian.”
Past her on-court achievements, Cross has relished the friendships and experiences she’s gained on tour. Travelling from event to event, she’s prioritized constructing connections with the acquainted faces she encounters alongside the best way.
“You get to go to dinner with individuals. It was actually necessary for me to make buddies and people connections on tour, so I preserve having fun with it whereas I’m on the market.”
“I’ve made so many buddies on tour this 12 months, which has been wonderful.”
With the knee points that plagued her 2023 season now within the rear-view mirror, Cross is eyeing a extra particular efficiency purpose for the upcoming 12 months.
“Wanting slightly additional, my purpose is to make French Open qualifying.”
She’ll begin by competing at ITF occasions within the U.S. within the early months of the season to construct in the direction of it.
By means of her experiences to date, the 19-year-old is embracing each alternative to play, journey, and join. Requested for a ladies’s participant she’d most prefer to sq. up towards it, Cross didn’t shrink back from an opportunity to satisfy the world No. 1.
“Perhaps (Aryna) Sabalenka. Somebody who has lots of energy, I wish to see if I can hold with that,” laughs Cross.
And as for a dream doubles companion, why not a U.S. Open champion and Olympic medallist, from the identical nation?
“Clearly Gaby Dabrowski. As a Canadian, it will be so particular to play along with her.”
Along with her well being restored and confidence excessive, 2025 is shaping as much as be one other large 12 months for Kayla Cross.
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