Mladenovic picks up speed on tour as a singles force

When she was just a teenager, France's Kristina Mladenovic was labeled a future star. She was one of France’s brightest hopes for a Grand Slam champion after two-time major winner Amelie Mauresmo.

At 15, Mladenovic pushed 14th-seeded Patty Schnyder to three sets at the 2009 Australian Open. She then won the junior French Open title a few months later, propelling her to the top spot in the junior rankings.

On the pro tour, Mladenovic has had plenty of success—on the doubles court. She's reached as high as No. 2, holds 16 titles, and won last year’s French Open with compatriot Caroline Garcia.

But now Mladenovic is peaking in singles, eight years after bursting onto the scene as a junior. Earlier this year, she won her first career singles title in St. Petersburg and reached the final in Acapulco. She's at a career-high ranking of No. 26, and just upset fourth-seeded Simona Halep in straight sets in Indian Wells.

The win puts the 23-year-old into the fourth round. She had previously never reached farther than the second round in the desert.

Mladenovic has now beaten two Top 5 players in two months (she stunned Karolina Pliskova in Dubai).

Her dominant performance against Halep on Monday set up a fourth-round clash against another player on the rise, world No. 38-ranked Lauren Davis.

Meanwhile, Mladenovic and Garcia—who won four titles together last year and happen to be separated by five points in the singles rankings—recently split up.

The majority of players opt for either singles or doubles, and tend to drop doubles as their singles success increases. Mladenovic looks dedicated to both crafts.

Garcia teamed up with Pliskova in Indian Wells, and they fell in the first round.

Doubles aside, Mladenovic is finally making her own noise on the singles court, and could make a lot more soon.