Clara Burel

In 2018, Burel reached the junior singles final at three major events, the Australian Open, the US Open and the Youth Summer Olympics (YOG). Partnering with compatriot Hugo Gaston, she also won the mixed-doubles bronze medal at the YOG.

In October, Burel qualified for the ITF Junior Masters, where she captured her first major title. She became the junior world No. 1 the next week, on 29 October 2018.

Grand Slam performance - Singles:

• Australian Open: F (2018)
• French Open: 3R (2018)
• Wimbledon: 3R (2018)
• US Open: F (2018)

Grand Slam performance - Doubles:

• Australian Open: 2R (2018)
• French Open: 2R (2017, 2018)
• Wimbledon: QF (2018)
• US Open: 2R (2018)

Following her final in Melbourne, Burel was selected as an alternate in the French Fed Cup team for the 2018 first round against Belgium. In September, she reached her first final on the ITF Circuit at Clermont-Ferrand, falling to Lesley Kerkhove.

Burel was a wildcard entrant in the Australian Open where she lost in the first round to Carla Suárez Navarro.

In March, Burel was given a wildcard entry into the Lyon Open but she in the first round to Jil Teichmann. In September in Strasbourg, she knocked out Kateryna Bondarenko, before falling in the second round to Zhang Shuai.

At the French Open the following week, she again entered as a wildcard and defeated Arantxa Rus in the first round and Kaja Juvan to reach the third round of a major for the first time in her career, becoming the youngest Frenchwoman since 18-year-old Alizé Cornet did so in 2008. Burel lost to Zhang Shuai for the second successive tournament.

Burel qualified for the Australian Open, but lost to Alison Van Uytvanck in the first round. She also qualified for Wimbledon, making her first appearance in the main draw at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament, where she defeated Ellen Perez, before losing in the second round to Kaja Juvan.

Burel reached her first WTA Tour final at the Ladies Open Lausanne, losing to Tamara Zidanšek in three sets. As a result, she made her top 100 debut, at world No. 98, on 19 July.^[]

She made her WTA 1000 debut at the Canadian Open as a qualifier but lost to 13th seed Ons Jabeur in the first round.

On 21 February, Burel reached a new career-high WTA singles ranking at No. 74. She recorded her first WTA 1000 win at the Miami Open against qualifier Magdalena Fręch, but then lost to 28th seed Petra Kvitová in the second round.

Burel qualified for the US Open and reached the third round defeating 25th seed Elena Rybakina, and Alison Van Uytvanck, before losing to sixth seed Aryna Sabalenka.

Burel qualified for the Australian Open and defeated wildcard Talia Gibson in the first round, her first win at this major. In April, she also qualified into the main draw of the WTA 1000 Madrid Open, losing to Camila Osorio in the first round. She lost to 20th seed Barbora Krejčíková in the second round.

She reached the final at the Ladies Open Lausanne, losing to Elisabetta Cocciaretto.

Burel won her first WTA 125 tournament at the Open Angers Arena Loire in December, defeating compatriot Chloé Paquet in three sets in the final.

Burel reached the third round at the Australian Open for the first time at this major defeating Aleksandra Krunić and fifth seed Jessica Pegula, her first top-10 win, before losing to Océane Dodin. As a result she recorded a new career-high singles ranking of world No. 44, reaching the top 50 for the first time on 5 February 2024.^[]

At the Upper Austria Ladies Linz, she reached the quarterfinals defeating Sinja Kraus and Kateřina Siniaková, before losing to third seed Donna Vekić.

At the newly upgraded WTA 500 in Strasbourg, Burel also reached the quarterfinals defeating wildcard Karolina Plíšková and seventh seed and defending champion Elina Svitolina, her second career top 20 win, before also losing to third seed Danielle Collins.

Burel recorded a first round win over Eva Lys at Wimbledon, losing her next match to qualifier Sonay Kartal.

At the Cleveland Open she reached the quarterfinals defeating lucky loser Elvina Kalieva and eighth seed Sofia Kenin. Burel lost to top seed Beatriz Haddad Maia. Moving on to the US Open, she defeated former champion Sloane Stephens, but lost to 20th seed Victoria Azarenka in the second round.

On her debut at the China Open Burel recorded a first round victory over lucky loser Tamara Korpatsch, before being defeated by fourth seed Coco Gauff in the second round.