15-year-old Maaya Rajeshwaran scripted another sensational win at the L&T Mumbai Open WTA 125 Series at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai. She prevailed against Jessica Failla, winning 7-6, 1-6, 6-4 in a nail-biting encounter to seal her place in the main draws.
Maaya Rajeshwaran registered her second win of the tournament, having defeated World No. 265 Nicole Fossa Huergo in the previous round. She will now be part of the main draw and will be up against Yuriko Lily Miyazaki of Great Britain.
The young tennis star has been part of the Rafael Nadal Academy in Spain, while competing in ITF Juniors tournaments around the world. After confirming her participation in the main draw, Maaya reflected on her performance and reiterated her goals. She said, “First of all, I was pretty happy with qualifying because that was my first goal when I entered the tournament. My goals are not done yet, but the first goal is accomplished for now. She did test me in the third set, but I’m happy to win.”
The 15-year-old prodigy also shed some light on the kind of support she has received in her journey, especially from her parents. She mentioned, “One thing that I’m really happy about is that my dad doesn’t trouble with me often, because I don’t play tournaments in India, but when I travel in India, he comes. I’m very happy when he travels because if he’s there, I really have my head down and focus. He helps me remain calm, so even if I’m playing a very tough match, he’ll be there to support me. I feel like almost 100% of my pressure goes to him at that point, so I’ll be at ease.”
While Maaya’s mother travels with her consistently, she also receives support from Amalgam Steel, who has been her sponsor for the last couple of years. They leave no stone unturned to contribute towards her growth and provide continuous support in her journey.
Speaking on her experience of being part of the qualifying draws at the L&T Mumbai Open WTA 125 Series, Maaya stated, “It does feel pretty good. It’s not something new that I’ve been doing, but in the WTA circuit, yes, it does feel pretty amazing. I also want to thank the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) for having faith in me and giving me an opportunity as the wildcard at such a prestigious event.”
The L&T Mumbai Open WTA 125 Series will be available for live stream on the MSLTA, Prasar Bharati Sports and Sportzworkz YouTube channels.
About the L&T Mumbai Open WTA 125 Series:
Mumbai Open Tennis Championships is heading into its fourth year, and returned to Mumbai after a gap of six years in 2024. Previously, the 2024 Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka had won the 2017 edition of the Mumbai Open as a teenager, while Thailand’s Luksika Kumkhum won the title in 2018. Latvia’s Darja Semeņistaja claimed the crown in 2024
