Send to Kindle
Ivan Ivanov has been officially named the 2025 World Champion in the juniors and youth category by the International Tennis Federation, becoming the first Bulgarian player to receive this distinction at global level.
The ITF published its annual individual rankings today, covering nine separate categories: men’s and women’s singles and doubles, wheelchair singles and doubles, players with severe visual and hearing impairments, as well as champions among boys and girls under 19. Ivanov topped the boys’ standings.
At just 17, Ivanov earned the number one position after an outstanding season in which he captured the junior singles titles at both Wimbledon and the US Open in 2025. He is the first player in the pre-senior category to win two junior Grand Slam singles titles in the same season since 2018.
With this achievement, Ivanov becomes only the second Bulgarian tennis player to win a junior Grand Slam title, following Grigor Dimitrov. Dimitrov also completed the Wimbledon–US Open junior double back in 2008.
Ivanov’s 2025 season included further strong results: he won a J300 tournament in France, finished runner-up at a J500 event in Milan, claimed his first title on the men’s circuit at a tournament in Hungary in May, and made his Davis Cup debut for Bulgaria in September during the team’s victory over Finland.
In the girls’ category, Kristina Penichkova of the United States was selected as the junior world champion for the year.
Among the seniors, Arina Sabalenka and Yannick Sinner were named ITF world number one players in women’s and men’s singles respectively, with both receiving the honour for the second time in their careers.
ITF President David Haggerty also addressed the announcement in an official message published on the federation’s website, congratulating all 2025 world champions. He described the season as another exceptional year for tennis, marked by memorable moments across the Grand Slams, tours and team competitions, and expressed confidence that the awarded players will continue to excel in 2026.
Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov has personally selected the members of a 14-member committee of Palestinian technocrats set to take over the governance of the Gaza Strip
Bulgarian grain producers are preparing to join Europe-wide protests against the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, which is scheduled to be officially signed on January 17
Viktoriya Tomova made a winning start to her Australian Open qualifying campaign, advancing to the second round after a comeback victory over American Bernarda Pera, ranked 169th in the world. Bulgaria’s top-ranked player prevailed 1-6, 6-4, 6-0 after rou
An attack was carried out on the Bulgarian Embassy in Skopje on Sunday, Bulgaria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced, describing the incident as a serious breach of diplomatic norms.
Nearly all Bulgarian exports to Mercosur countries are set to benefit from the EU trade agreement approved on Friday, according to European Commission data. The pact, the largest in EU history, covers Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has met in Jerusalem with Bulgarian diplomat and former UN Middle East envoy Nikolay Mladenov, who is expected to become the on-the-ground head of a US-backed Peace Board tasked with overseeing the next stage of g
The Bulgarian Ski Federation held its final press briefing ahead of this weekend’s Snowboard World Cup in Bansko, where the nation’s top athletes will compete for medals and Olympic quotas for Milan/Cortina
Viktoriya Tomova made a winning start to her Australian Open qualifying campaign, advancing to the second round after a comeback victory over American Bernarda Pera, ranked 169th in the world. Bulgaria’s top-ranked player prevailed 1-6, 6-4, 6-0 after rou
For those who watch sports in America, 2026 should already feel like a marathon year.
Grigor Dimitrov opened his 2026 season with a strong statement at the Brisbane tennis tournament, defeating Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3, 6-2 in just over an hour
Alexander Nikolov of Cucine Lube Civitanova has been ranked as the world’s second best volleyball player for 2025, according to the latest Volleyball World standings.
Combat sports fans apply fight analysis skills to football betting.
Bulgaria's Strategic Role in the EU's Drone Wall Defense Initiative
When Politics Means Violence
