Ivan Ivanov continued his fairytale debut at Roland Garros on Thursday, powering into the semifinals of the junior boys’ singles after a stunning upset over world number four and second seed Jacopo Vasami of Italy.
The 16-year-old Bulgarian battled back from a set down to clinch a thrilling 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory in one hour and 48 minutes.
Ivanov, unseeded in the draw and playing his first Grand Slam, showcased exceptional grit and maturity beyond his years. After a shaky start in which he was broken twice and dropped the opening set, he mounted an inspired comeback.
The turning point came in the second set when he broke Vasami’s serve at 4-3. Serving at 5-4, Ivanov had to dig deep, fending off four break points before closing the set on his third opportunity.
From that moment, the momentum firmly swung in the Bulgarian’s favour. With the confidence of a seasoned pro, Ivanov surged ahead in the deciding set, stringing together five consecutive games from 1-2 down to seal the win and a spot in the last four.
“I just tried to stay calm and play my game,” Ivanov said after the match. “I knew I had to fight for every point. It’s an amazing feeling to be in the semifinals of Roland Garros.”
The road to the semis has been a remarkable one for Ivanov. Prior to dispatching Vasami, he had already beaten three quality opponents: local hopeful Moise Kouamé, Argentina’s Dante Pagani, and fifth seed Jagger Leach of the United States—son of former Grand Slam champion Lindsay Davenport.
Ivanov is part of a strong Bulgarian contingent making waves in Paris this week. Fellow junior Alexander Vassilev also reached the quarterfinals, where he faced Japan’s Ryo Tabata, the tournament’s 13th seed.
Vassilev, seeded 11th, had shown consistency throughout the week, overcoming Yannick Alvarez of Puerto Rico, Ronit Karki of the USA, and Russia’s Sava Rybkin in earlier rounds.
In the girls’ singles draw, Bulgaria’s Rositsa Dencheva remains undefeated in sets ahead of her quarterfinal clash against Argentina’s Luna Maria Sinai.
Dencheva’s run has included a standout win over second seed Kristina Penickova (USA), along with convincing victories against Brazil’s Nauani da Silva and Lithuania’s Laima Vladson.
Later in the day, Ivanov was set to return to the courts for doubles action. Teaming up with Dutch partner Tijs Boochard, he will face the formidable second-seeded duo of Oskar Paldanius (Finland) and Alan Wajny (Poland) in the quarterfinals.
Vassilev, alongside American partner Maxwell Exted, is also in doubles contention and will meet the third-seeded American pair, Keaton Hance and Jack Kennedy.
With Ivanov’s stunning rise, Bulgaria has found a new tennis star in the making—and the Roland Garros crowd is beginning to take notice.