Ntungamili Raguin’s impressive run at the Australian Open Junior Championships 2026 has come to an end after suffering a 6-4, 6-3 defeat against world number three, Luis Augusto Queiroz Miguel of Brazil in the last 16 on Thursday. The 17-year-old has made the country proud as the first Motswana to compete at a junior Grand Slam, delivering strong performances from the qualification stage through to the main draw and into the last 16. His achievement is commendable, considering that he was still battling to secure a place in the Australian Open qualifying draw just a month ago.
Throughout the tournament, Raguin demonstrated maturity, composure and the ability to perform under pressure, qualities that have set him apart from many of his peers. However, Queiroz Miguel, who recently won the J300 tournament in Traralgon and was seeded second at the Australian Open juniors competition, proved a tough nut for Raguin to crack. Despite the loss, Ntungamili will take some positives from his exploits at the Australian Open juniors having made it all the way to the last 16.
In the first round, he edged out Bulgaria’s Dimitar Kisimov 7-5, 1-6, 6-4. In the second round, he continued his good form, reaching the last 16 after beating tournament 15th seed Gavin Goode of the United States. He won the first set 6-2, lost the second 3-6, and came back strongly to claim the deciding set 6-4.
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With the Australian Open juniors behind him now, Raguin will next compete in the J300 tournament in Ecuador on clay courts, followed by preparations for the French Open Junior Championships 2026. Botswana Tennis Association president Oaitse Thipe has expressed delight at the player’s performance, especially the positive results he achieved against stronger opponents. Thipe said they were expecting Raguin to learn from the experience and apply the lessons in his upcoming competitions.
“He should hold his head high and now focus on preparing for the French Junior Open. He fought hard and his Australian Open run was good,” he said. Raguin is currently ranked 75th, and his performance is expected to improve his ranking, as reaching the round of 16 earned him 180 points.BOPA
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