Kayla Cross
| Kayla Cross | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Birthdate | March 21, 2005 |
| Birthplace | London, Ontario, Canada |
| From | London, Ontario, Canada |
| Height | 5’7” (1,70m) |
| Style of play | Left-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Turned pro | Plays for Vanderbilt Commodores (starting in Spring 2024) |
| Best WTA singles ranking | No. 514 (July 17, 2023) |
| Best WTA doubles ranking | No. 240 (January 1, 2024) |
| Profile on CdnTennis.ca | |
Biography
Kayla Cross (born March 21, 2005 in London, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian tennis player. She reached a career-high WTA singles ranking of No. 514 on July 17, 2023 and a career-high WTA doubles ranking of No. 240 on January 1, 2024. She has also reached a career-high ITF junior ranking of No. 15 on March 7, 2022.
In 2019, Cross won her first ITF singles title on the junior circuit at the G5 in Calgary. The same year, she won two more junior ITF singles titles at the G5 in Victoria and at the G5 in Kamloops, and four junior ITF doubles titles at the G5 in George Town, the G5 in Calgary, the G5 in Victoria and the G5 in Kamloops. In 2021, she won four junior ITF doubles titles at the G3 in San José, the G3 in Santo Domingo, the G2 in Tashkent and the GA in Mérida. Also in 2021, Cross was awarded a wildcard in the qualifying draw of the National Bank Open where she lost in straight sets to Océane Dodin in the first round. In 2022, she reached the doubles final at the junior Australian Open with fellow Canadian Victoria Mboko. She won three junior doubles titles in 2022, at the G1 in Traralgon, the G1 in Porto Alegre and the G1 in Roehampton. At the junior 2022 Wimbledon Championships, Cross reached the doubles final again with compatriot Victoria Mboko and the third round in singles. Also in 2022, Cross won her first professional doubles title at the ITF W25 in Saskatoon with compatriot Marina Stakusic. The same year, she qualified for her first WTA singles main draw at the 250 in Granby, losing in the opening round to world No. 55 Anna Bondár. She also lost in the first round in doubles with fellow Canadian Victoria Mboko. Cross advanced to the third round in singles of the junior 2022 US Open. In 2023, she won her second professional doubles title at the ITF W25 in Edmonton with Liv Hovde. She is currently a part of the Vanderbilt University tennis team.
Cross' parents put her into tennis as her dad and two brothers played the sport. At age six, she started playing tennis at the London Hunt and Country Club in London, Ontario. She is currently part of the National Training Centre in Montréal since 2021.
ITF Circuit finals
Doubles: 9 (2 titles, 7 runners-up)
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| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1–0 | Jul 2022 | Saskatoon, Canada | W25 | Hard | Marina Stakusic (CAN) | Kendra Bunch (USA) Katarina Kozarov (SRB) |
6–3, 7–6(7–4) |
| Loss | 1–1 | Nov 2022 | Calgary, Canada | W60 | Hard (i) | Marina Stakusic (CAN) | Catherine Harrison (USA) Sabrina Santamaria (USA) |
6–7(2–7), 4–6 |
| Loss | 1–2 | Jan 2023 | Boca Raton, United States | W25 | Clay | Renata Zarazúa (MEX) | Tiphanie Fiquet (FRA) Ashley Lahey (USA) |
6–4, 1–6, [4–10] |
| Loss | 1–3 | May 2023 | Feld am See, Austria | W25 | Clay | Sofia Costoulas (BEL) | Denisa Hindová (CZE) Chiara Scholl (USA) |
2–6, 0–6 |
| Loss | 1–4 | Jun 2023 | Otočec, Slovenia | W40 | Clay | Sofia Sewing (USA) | Ekaterine Gorgodze (GEO) Elvina Kalieva (USA) |
2–6, 3–6 |
| Loss | 1–5 | Oct 2023 | Redding, United States | W25 | Hard | María Herazo González (COL) | Liv Hovde (USA) Clervie Ngounoue (USA) |
3–6, 5–7 |
| Loss | 1–6 | Oct 2023 | Toronto, Canada | W60 | Hard (i) | Liv Hovde (USA) | Carmen Corley (USA) Ivana Corley (USA) |
7–6(8–6), 3–6, [3–10] |
| Win | 2–6 | Nov 2023 | Edmonton, Canada | W25 | Hard (i) | Liv Hovde (USA) | Allura Zamarripa (USA) Maribella Zamarripa (USA) |
4–6, 6–4, [10–7] |
| Loss | 2–7 | Dec 2023 | Lousada, Portugal | W25 | Hard (i) | Elena Pridankina (RUS) | Eliessa Vanlangendonck (BEL) Stephanie Visscher (NED) |
Walkover |
Junior Grand Slam finals
Doubles: 2 (2 runners-up)
| Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 2022 | Australian Open | Hard | Victoria Mboko (CAN) | Clervie Ngounoue (USA) Diana Shnaider (RUS) |
4–6, 3–6 |
| Loss | 2022 | Wimbledon | Grass | Victoria Mboko (CAN) | Rose Marie Nijkamp (NED) Angella Okutoyi (KEN) |
6–3, 4–6, [9–11] |