Julieta Pareja Comes Back To Beat Friend & Rival Thea Frodin In First Round of Central Coast Tennis Classic

Julieta Pareja and Thea Frodin have spent the past few years training and playing doubles together, even advancing to the Wimbledon Junior final in the summer of 2025. Both just 17 years old, they are considered the “Future of American Tennis” and potential WTA stars.  

On Tuesday, the familiar foes faced off against each other in the first round of the Central Coast Tennis Classic, a $100,000 ITF World Tour and USTA Pro Circuit women’s tournament taking place at the Templeton Tennis Ranch.

Carlsbad’s Pareja, unseeded this week and ranked No. 261 in the WTA rankings, exacted some revenge and beat the USTA wild card Frodin of Woodland Hills, 5-7, 6-4, 6-1. Just last month, Frodin beat Pareja in the semifinals of the USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 18s Nationals in San Diego in two close tiebreak sets. Frodin went on to win the tournament, and a main-draw wild card into the US Open where she fell to eventual champion Elena Rybakina.

Former CCTC singles champion Madison Brengle, the No. 8 seed, opened up with a three-set comeback win over Mimi Xu from Great Britain, and currently playing for Duke, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1.

Another up-and-coming American 17-year-old was in action on Tuesday as USTA wild card Annika Penickova from Northern California fell to No. 5 seed Akasha Urhobo, 6-2, 6-3. Penickova, ranked No. 548 in the WTA, will play doubles on Wednesday with her twin sister Kristina.

In final-round qualifying action, UCLA junior Kate Fakih beat Anita Sahdiieva from Ukraine, and formerly of LSU, 6-1, 7-5.

Last year’s champion Kayla Day opens up her CCTC singles title defense when she faces qualifier Amelie Van Impe of Belgium on Wednesday in the third match on Stadium Court. Top-seeded German Tatjana Maria takes on Lucciana Perez Alarcon from Peru.

The ITF World Tour and USTA Pro Circuit Central Coast Tennis Classic is brought to you once again by Central Coast Home Health. The event has increased the prize money to $100,000 and boasts a strong entry list of WTA women’s players ranked from No. 85 to around No. 275 in the world. Central Coast Home Health and Hospice returns as a major sponsor. Serving San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties, Central Coast Home Health and Hospice provides physician-directed nursing, rehabilitation, and hospice, delivering skilled home care in the comfort of your own home.

The tournament is part of the ITF World Tennis Tour / USTA Pro Circuit. The event is open to the public; tickets start at $15 and are available at: www.centralcoasttennisclassic.com, where you can also find news and updates on the tournament. Also check out TTR’s Facebook and Instagram pages http://www.facebook.com/ttrtennis / @TTRTennis in the coming weeks for player announcements and the latest tournament news.

Templeton Tennis Ranch, a Mouratoglou Tennis Center, is set in the heart of the Central Coast’s wine country. One of 23 Mouratoglou Centers world-wide, Templeton Tennis Ranch offers world-class, high-performance tennis training and instruction. The state-of-the-art facility features tennis, pickleball, 25-yard, eight-lane competition lap pool, bocce, a well-appointed fitness center, Pilates studio, massage rooms, infrared saunas, and a cafe & wine bar. Conveniently located at 345 Championship Lane, off the Main Street Exit from Highway 101, in Templeton, the Ranch is open weekdays 7am to 8pm, Saturday 8 am to 8 pm and Sunday 8 am to 3 pm. For more information, call 805.434.9605 or visit www.ttrtennis.com, or www.mouratoglou.com/en/international/templeton/

Photo Credit: Lori Sortino