Teenage Indian tennis sensation Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi has taken the US Open by storm, securing her place in the second round of the junior girls' singles event. The 16-year-old from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, who trains at the prestigious Rafael Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain, defeated China's Zhang-Qian Wei in a gripping match, winning 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 in just over 90 minutes. Maaya’s victory was fuelled by her effective use of first and second serves, showcasing the aggressive baseline game that has drawn comparisons to tennis greats like Serena Williams and Aryna Sabalenka.

Currently ranked No. 55 in the ITF junior girls' singles with 1027.5 points, Maaya made her junior Grand Slam main draw debut at this tournament. Her journey to this stage highlights her rapid rise in the tennis world. Earlier this year, she turned heads by reaching the semifinals of the Mumbai Open 2025 WTA 125 as an unranked wildcard, defeating higher-ranked players like world No. 225 Iryna Shymanovich, world No. 285 Mei Yamaguchi, and former top-50 player Zarina Diyas. That historic run made her the first player born in 2009 to reach the semifinals of a WTA 125 event and earned her a WTA ranking of No. 646.

In her US Open match against Wei, Maaya displayed remarkable composure, clinching a tightly contested first set in a tiebreak (7-5) before dominating the second set 6-3. Her ability to reset after challenging points and maintain intensity under pressure has been a hallmark of her game, as noted during her Mumbai Open campaign, where she won multiple three-set matches.

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Next up, Maaya faces a formidable challenge in the second round against the second-seeded Hannah Klugman of the United Kingdom, who breezed past American Aspen Schuman 6-0, 6-2. Klugman, a rising star in her own right, will test Maaya’s aggressive groundstrokes and net play, which have been key to her success.

Maaya’s journey began at age eight, when tennis was just an after-school activity. By 10, she decided to pursue a professional career, training under former India No. 1 K.G. Ramesh and later at the Pro Serve Tennis Academy with coach Manoj Kumar. Her talent earned her a spot at the Rafael Nadal Academy in 2024, where she secured a one-year training contract after impressing during a week-long stint. Watching Nadal’s intense practice sessions during the 2024 Davis Cup Finals left a lasting impact on her, inspiring her relentless drive.

With five ITF junior titles, including a J300 event in Delhi in 2024 and a Grade 2 title on European clay in 2025, Maaya has already proven her versatility across surfaces. Her recent performances, including a runner-up finish at the Senior National Championships in October 2024, signal her readiness to compete on bigger stages. As she prepares to face Klugman, Indian tennis fans are buzzing with excitement over their young star’s potential to make a deep run at the US Open and beyond.

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