Hong Kong tennis player Adithya Karunaratne eyes richer prizes after maiden tournament victory in Tunisia
- The 20-year-old won a US$15,000 tournament in Monastir in November and two weeks later reached the final of another event in the same city
- The Barcelona-based pro is now the top-ranked women’s player in Hong Kong, ahead of Wu Ho-ching and Eudice Chong.
Adithya Karunaratne is hoping to take her career to the next level after winning her first title as a professional and taking over the mantle of Hong Kong’s top-ranked women’s tennis player.
The 20-year-old made her tournament breakthrough in November when she won an ITF US$15,000 (HK$117,000) tournament in Monastir, Tunisia, beating Japan’s Lisa-Marie Rioux 6-4, 6-2 in the final. She followed up two weeks later by reaching the final of another tournament in the same city, losing 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-4 to Romanian Ilona Ghioroaie.
The Hong Kong Sports Institute athlete, who is based in Barcelona, and trains out of the WeTennisBcn academy, wants to focus on US$25,000 tournaments in 2022 in her quest to move up the rankings and eventually tackle the top-tier events.
“It feels great to have reached another milestone by winning my first US$15,000 professional title in Tunisia,” Karunaratne told the Post. “It was a result of continuous hard work and the support of a great team. I want to thank WeTennisBcn for their guidance and support.
“They believed in me when I was struggling. I would also like to thank my sponsors Joma and Wilson for making me feel my best out there. And finally, thank you to the Hong Kong Sports Institute and Hong Kong Tennis Association for all their help and support.
“While US$15,000 tournaments are incredibly tough, they do not offer much in terms of [ranking] points. Therefore, I aim to focus more on US$25,000 and above tournaments next year. Even though the level of the tournaments change, the fundamental targets remain the same – trying to improve in terms of personal level and subsequently, my ranking.”