Teenage sensation Maaya Rajeshwaran makes history at the WTA 125 tournament in Mumbai
15-year-old Maaya Rajeshwaran, who trains at the Rafa Nadal Academy, has made it to the semifinals of the WTA 125 in Mumbai.
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Maaya Rajeshwaran (via Instagram)
At just 15 years old, India’s Maaya Rajeshwaran has been making waves in the tennis world with her sensational performance. The young star announced her arrival with her impressive run at the 2025 L&T Mumbai Open WTA 125 Series, going up to the semifinals on Friday with victories over higher-ranked opponents throughout her journey.
The Mumbai Open is an outdoor hard court tournament that is currently part of the WTA 125 tournaments. It is held in Mumbai, India, with the first edition in 2017 where current World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka won the title. The tournament was, however, not held between 2019 and 2023. It eventually resumed in the 2024 edition.
Given a qualifying wildcard by the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA), Maaya Rajeshwaran has made the most of her opportunity at the WTA 125 event—the second-highest tier in women’s tennis, just below the WTA Tour. Unranked and contesting just her fifth professional event, Rajeshwaran’s journey in the tournament has been nothing short of inspiring.
I’ve been sleeping (literally because of the time zone) on the incredible story of the 15yo Indian qualifier who just made it all the way into the semifinals of the WTA 125 in Mumbai.
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) February 7, 2025
She trains in the Nadal Academy.
Imagine if India finds a top singles tennis player 😧 https://t.co/fvi7M5seOy
She overcame World No. 434 Jessica Failla of the United States in the qualifiers. In the round of 32, she stunned World No. 225 Iryna Shymanovich of Belarus with a commanding straight-set victory. She defeated World No. 334 Mei Yamaguchi of Japan in the quarterfinals and advanced to the semifinals, where she was beaten by World No. 117 Jil Teichmann of Switzerland on Saturday.
Maaya Rajeshwaran has a year-long contract with the Rafa Nadal Academy
Born on June 12, 2009, in Coimbatore, India, Rajeshwaran’s introduction to tennis was almost incidental—an after-school activity at the age of eight. Under the guidance of former India No. 1 K.G. Ramesh, Rajeshwaran honed her early skills before transitioning to Pro Serve Tennis Academy, where her coach Manoj Kumar had been instrumental in shaping her game over the past five years.
Despite competing in just her fifth senior tournament, Rajeshwaran has exuded immense confidence and composure, earning widespread praise. A training stint at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain, further boosted her career, leading to a year-long contract at the prestigious tennis facility. She is set to relocate to Spain this month to take her training to the next level.
Only one Indian player has ever cracked the Top 100 of the PIF WTA Rankings—Sania Mirza, who peaked at World No. 27 in 2007, went on to become the doubles World No. 1 in 2015, and retired in 2023. The tennis icon, who captured six Grand Slam doubles titles—three in women’s doubles and three in mixed doubles—has been an inspiration to Rajeshwaran for as long as she can remember.
This decade has also witnessed the rise of other Indian tennis stars. In February 2024, Sumit Nagal made his top 100 debut, becoming the tenth Indian tennis player to reach the top 100. India’s latest Grand Slam victory came in 2024, with Rohan Bopanna winning the men’s doubles title at the Australian Open, becoming the oldest first-time doubles World No. 1 at the age of 43.
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Lakshya Chopra
(2630 Articles Published)