An 11-year-old from Katikati is building an impressive tennis resume as she makes her mark on the national tennis stage.

From small-town courts to a national junior champion, Kristiana Hutchesson is proving big dreams can grow anywhere.

“I really enjoy winning and doing something I love,” she said.

The home-schooled student claimed her first junior national title last week on clay courts, winning the Tennis New Zealand 12u Girls Kiwi Clay Championships in Martinborough.

It marked a milestone victory in what is already an impressive young career.

Kristiana has represented New Zealand and won more than 40 tournaments nationwide in the past few years.

She is supported by Tennis Western Bay of Plenty and has developed her game with the help of Bay of Plenty coaches Peter Blow, Paul Bell and Christophe Lambert.

Kristiana said it felt “really good” to win her first junior national tournament.

“I got really excited, and whether I was going to win or not, I had to keep pushing through.”

Kristiana picked up tennis at 9 years old during the summer holidays.

“We had nothing to do, so we went down to the tennis courts, and my parents started doing really big amounts of training trying to make us fit.”

She then started competing in tournaments and said she was winning them “a lot”.

Last year, she won more than 20 tournaments, and this year alone Kristiana has already claimed multiple titles across regional and national competitions.

Kristiana is supported by Tennis Western Bay of Plenty and has developed her game with the help of local Bay of Plenty coaches. Photo / Kelly O'Hara

She won the Tennis Northern Junior Tournaments Sunday Series Girls Singles event, competing above her age group in the 16 and under grade.

Her success extended to doubles competition, where she won the Wairarapa Summer Open 14 and Under Girls Doubles title.

She also won the Tennis Manawatū Tier 3 and Manawatū Open, winning both the 12 and Under Girls Singles and the 14 and Under Girls Doubles crowns.

Her most recent victory was the 12u Girls Kiwi Clay Championships title, which Kristiana said she was most proud of.

“It’s very slippery, the clay. You slide a lot, and then the ball bounces a lot higher than usual.”

She said her goal was to “make it” in tennis, play more tournaments and win them, but also go pro soon.

“I just have to keep on persevering, keep going, and I will eventually make it. I have the right team and support with me.”

Kristiana‘s mum, Kristina Hutchesson, has helped coach her daughter and said she was proud of her achievements.

“She’s had to fight for this one.”

Kristiana Hutchesson won more than 20 tournaments in 2025, and this year has already claimed multiple titles across regional and national competitions. Photo / Kelly O'Hara

Hutchesson said she noticed “pretty early” that Kristiana had potential in tennis.

“She started winning a lot of tournaments and just hitting the ball really well.”

She said Kristiana’s national junior title showed the family was on the “right pathway” to help their daughter succeed.

“We’re not from a tennis background, we have to make a lot of mistakes to find the right opportunities, so when she won a national title, everything seemed to be locking into place.”

Hutchesson said she would offer her daughter various opportunities, and Kristiana would decide for herself whether to compete or not.

“We don’t need to put pressure on her; she puts the pressure on us in a nice way.”

Kaitlyn Morrell is a journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has lived in the region for several years and studied journalism at Massey University.