Forget that she lost the girls singles final at the ITF Asia Under-14 Development Championships at the Morodok Tennis Complex.
Mongolia’s Aissata Enkhzaya Adama is already envisioning herself hoisting a Grand Slam trophy in the future.
“I see myself playing in the Grand Slam and even lifting the title,” said Aissata, who was beaten by Filipina Maristella Torrecampo in Phnom Penh.
The lanky 13-year-old is determined to break the mould in a country where tennis is very much a niche sports compared to the more popular wrestling, basketball and football.
While the Grand Slam hopes are in in the distant future, Aissata is already looking to another final meeting against Martistella on Week Two of the tournament starting on Monday.
“I think we will play in the final again. This time I will be better prepared, said the lass, who hails from Ulaanbaatar.
“I had so much difficulty with her lobs as I do not play or train indoors for most of the time back home,” she added.
Ulaanbaatar is recognized as the world’s coldest capital city, featuring a harsh continental climate with long, dry, and bitterly cold winters, and short, mild-to-warm summers.
The promising youngster get to play outdoors only for one month each year.
The second place finish here was an improvement over her debut in Sri Lanka last year, where she finished 5th and 6th.
“I was quite anxious in the final but hope to be better next week. I am also still eligible to play next year,” beamed Aissata, whose favourite player is newly crowned Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina.
Aissata is one of the most promising junior players to emerge from Mongolia. She has won every age-group national titles since winning the Under-8. She now holds five national age group titles.
Aissata, who had also dabbled in volleyball and basketball before settling on tennis, has also been travelling more extensively over the past two years with her mother.
“It was my uncle, my mom’s brother who introduced me to tennis and I took a liking to it,” admitted Aissata, whose younger sisters Eneret and Azjargal have also picked up the game.
At the Little Mo International tennis tournament in New Jersey two years ago, Aissata finished 3rd in the Under-11 single and captured both the girl’s and mixed doubles titles.
She also won the U11 girl’s doubles in Palm Beach Gardens the same year.
“My coaches Chogsomjav and Badrakh were instrumental in guiding me,” added Aissata.
At the TenPro Global Junior Tour in Greece, she won the U11 title in 2024 and finished second in the U13 event last year.
