Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi entered the Mumbai Open 2025 as a wildcard but walked out as India’s next tennis sensation.
The 15-year-old grabbed the tennis world’s attention during the WTA 125 tournament, held from Feb 3-9, where she defied all expectations by reaching the semi-final – after starting from the qualifying rounds – in what was just her fifth professional event.
Going into the tournament unranked, Maaya upset established names such as Belarus’ world No. 225 Iryna Shymanovich and Japan’s world No. 285 Mei Yamaguchi.
“All of this is a bit new to me,” Mayaa told wtatennis.com after beating Yamaguchi.
Before that week, she had never faced a Top 300 player, and the best players she had even practiced with were top juniors. But she was able to impose powerful groundstrokes on older, more experienced opponents with ease.
This feat made Maaya the first player born in 2009 or after to reach the top four in an event of such calibre. She will also be ranked inside the top 700 after her historic run, making her the youngest Indian to earn a WTA ranking.
Born on June 12, 2009, in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, Maaya’s foray into tennis began as a casual after-school playtime activity. It quickly turned into a serious pursuit when she was just eight years old.
Her natural talent and passion for the sport led her to train under former India No. 1 K.G. Ramesh before going on to join the Pro Serve Tennis Academy under coach Manoj Kumar.
By the age of 10, Maaya had already set her sights on a professional tennis career. Fast forward a few years, and she seems well on track.
A regular on the junior circuit since 2022, Maaya won five junior titles (four J60s and one J100) in 2023. She also earned an invitation to the Australian Open Under-14 showcase that year. A year later, she made her junior Grand Slam debut in Melbourne but was knocked out in the first round of the qualifiers.
To further refine her game, Maaya trained at the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy in Mallorca for a week in 2024. Her impressive showing there earned her a one-year training contract with the prestigious institution.
Having the opportunity to watch Rafael Nadal train up close during the Davis Cup 2024 Finals in Mallorca also left a profound mark on the youngster.
“It’s one of my most favourite memories. Even a man that’s won so much, he’s still got that hunger and that’s really impressive,” Maaya said.
Incidentally, Maaya’s game style also draws heavily from Nadal. Like the Spanish icon, the Indian teenager is also an aggressive baseline player and uses her powerful groundstrokes to dictate rallies.
Among Indian tennis players, Maaya idolises Sania Mirza, India’s most successful women’s tennis player.
“If you say you’re a tennis player in India, it’s her name that always pops up in response,” she said. “It’s her I’ve always looked up to as an Indian athlete.”
Maaya, who enjoys learning history in school and loves trekking, wants to follow Mirza’s footsteps and win Grand Slams.
“Win Slams and end up as World No. 1,” she said. “That’s where it all ends.”
