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Team USA's Ho and Capella Capture Historic British Junior Open Titles
Madison Ho and Carlton Capella became the first American co-champions at the prestigious British Junior Open in the GU17 and BU13 divisions, respectively, capping off what was a record-setting tournament for Team USA, January 4-8, in Birmingham, England.
Team USA ends its ninth trip to the BJO with a number of new records set including its first title double and first boys' champion, and new highs of five semifinalists and fifteen quarterfinalists—including a quarterfinalist in all ten divisions.
“It feels completely surreal, winning the BJO is the ultimate dream as a junior and not one that I honestly thought going into the tournament I was going to achieve,” Ho said. “It was really special to have the team’s support. My absolute favorite thing about the BJO is the team aspect. Traveling together, training together, and cheering each other on creates such an incredible atmosphere and allows you to play your best on court knowing you have such strong support around you. I’m especially grateful for all the coaches and players I got to meet through the trip and my parents for their constant encouragement."
“I can’t believe that for the rest of my life I will always hold the title of being the first male to win the BJO,” Capella said. “I really enjoyed the team cheering, they motivated me to keep pushing. The coaches did a great job at making sure that I was on task with the plan and helped me stay focused. Watching my brother Christian almost win the 2019 BJO in the BU11s made me realize that it was possible to win."
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