Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi advances to second round at US Open Junior Girls

Sixteen-year-old Indian tennis prodigy Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi made a winning debut at the US Open junior girls’ singles on Sunday, advancing to the second round with a hard-fought 7-6(5), 6-3 victory over China’s Zhang Qian-Wei.

Currently ranked No. 54 in the world junior rankings, Revathi showed grit and composure on Court 8, sealing the contest in 94 minutes.

Her next challenge will be a blockbuster clash against the No. 2 seed, Britain’s Hannah Klugman, who opened her campaign with a commanding 6-0, 6-2 win over American Aspen Schuman.

Revathi has been on the radar of Indian tennis fans since her stunning run to the semifinals of the WTA 125 Mumbai Open earlier this year, where she came through qualifying to defeat three Top 300 players - becoming the first player born in 2009 to reach the semifinals of a WTA 125K event.

Her rise has been fueled by training at the Rafael Nadal Academy in Mallorca, where she works under the guidance of Joan Bosch, former coach of world No. 1 Carlos Moya. Revathi has even caught the eye of Rafael Nadal himself during practice sessions.

Meanwhile, in the boys’ singles, India’s top-ranked junior Kriish Tyagi, currently No. 49 in the world junior rankings, bowed out in the first round with a 3-6, 1-6 loss to Sweden’s Ludvig Hede (ranked 48)

Regardless of how far she goes this week, Revathi’s breakthrough moment at Flushing Meadows is the latest sign that India’s next tennis hope has truly arrived on the international stage.