‍Top Pro & Junior Movers

February brought some significant movement across the DUPR rankings, with both established pros and rising juniors making strong early-season statements. As tournament play ramps up, we’re starting to see which players used the offseason wisely and who is beginning to translate close matches into meaningful breakthroughs.

This month’s Top Risers reflect a mix of steady progression and true breakout performances, the kind that don’t just move numbers, but signal potential shifts in the competitive landscape heading into the heart of the 2026 season.

Top Pro Doubles Risers

• Yuta Funemizu 

Funemizu has had an impressive start to the year. He recently made a quarterfinal run in Men’s Doubles at the PPA Cape Coral, in addition to wins over Riley Newman & Will MacKinnon and Tyson McGuffin & Max Freeman. He has climbed 18 spots this month and now holds a 6.221 DUPR. Despite that surge, he currently sits just outside the Top 50 at No. 51 in our Men’s Pro Doubles Rankings. With his recent results trending upward, I expect him to break into the Top 50 within the next two months.

• Zoey Weil 

Weil is in a similar position to Funemizu. She has climbed 17 spots over the past month and now sits at No. 52 in our Women’s Pro Doubles Rankings. To start the year, she has already earned three doubles medals at PPA Challenger events. She has also had numerous close matches at the top level on the PPA Tour, and the next step will be turning those tight battles into breakthrough wins. With that early-season momentum, I expect Weil to break into the Top 50 within the next couple of months.

Top Pro Singles Risers

• Luc Pham

You may recognize Luc Pham from the PPA Mesa, where he made an impressive Round of 16 run in singles. Along the way, he upset Dylan Frazier and Cason Campbell before falling in a close match to Jack Sock. It marks a significant breakthrough for Pham, who is originally from Vietnam. He now enters the Top 50 with a 6.001 DUPR, jumping 35 spots to No. 50 in our Men’s Pro Singles Rankings. Expect to see more consistent singles runs from this rising young player.

• Carlota Trevino

Trevino has been my dark horse in singles. Originally from Cabo, it was exciting to see her capture a well-deserved gold medal in singles at the PPA Houston Challenger this past month, highlighted by impressive wins over Zoey Weil and Jada Bui. She now enters our Top 50 with a 5.509 DUPR, jumping 28 spots to No. 30 in our Women’s Pro Singles Rankings. That breakthrough performance should serve as a major confidence boost as she kicks off the year inside the Top 50.

Top Junior Doubles Risers

• Ethan Bakalinsky

Bakalinsky claims the Top Riser spot in the Junior Boys’ Doubles Rankings after jumping 22 spots into the Top 25 at No. 20. He has been trending upward as a junior player, and his recent results continue to back that up. At the PPA Mesa this past month, he captured gold in the Junior Mixed Doubles U16 bracket, the Men’s Doubles 5.0 bracket, and the Moneyball event attached to the tournament. He also battled through qualifying to reach the Mixed Pro main draw, where he ultimately fell in a tight three-game match to Len Yang and Paula Rives. Another strong step forward for one of the rising names in the junior ranks.

Top Junior Singles Risers

• Emma Nelson

As mentioned in my previous Top Risers blogs, breaking into the Top 10 is a major accomplishment given how difficult it is to climb at the very top. Nelson did just that at the end of February, entering the Top 10 in the Junior Girls’ Singles Rankings after rising four spots to No. 7. At just 15 years old, she has already been competing in the Women’s Pro Singles main draws on the PPA Tour, earning first-round wins before running into top seeds. That level of match experience will be invaluable as she continues to progress and develop her singles game.

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What stands out about this month’s risers is not just the jump in ranking positions, but the quality of wins behind those climbs. Whether it’s established pros knocking off higher seeds or juniors proving they can compete beyond their age brackets, these players are building momentum in meaningful ways.

As we move deeper into the spring schedule, consistency will be the key. The early gains are there; now the next step is sustaining them. If February is any indication, several of these names won’t just be Top Risers for long; they’ll be firmly planted inside the Top 50 (and beyond) before we know it.