Driven by mum and coaches, Kriish Tyagi takes on the world at US Open 2025

At 18, Kriish Tyagi stands tall as India’s highest-ranked junior tennis player, currently within the top-50 of the ITF junior rankings. He also finds himself among the top 15 Indian players on the ATP Tour world rankings.

But the Bengaluru-based youngster has set his sights on a strong showing at the upcoming US Open 2025—the final Grand Slam of the year—with a simple goal: to make his mother and coaches proud.

"I've matured"

Tyagi is the only Indian to gain direct entry into the boys’ singles draws the US Open – something he had also accomplished at the Australian Open and Wimbledon earlier this year.

While he exited in the first round at both events, he made a notable run in the boys’ doubles event at Wimbledon, reaching the quarter-finals alongside South African partner Connor Doig.

“I had prepared well technically and strategically for Wimbledon. I was satisfied with my results in M25 Ahmedabad and the M15s in Kazakhstan, but one bad day and I was out of the Wimbledon singles in the first round,” Tyagi told The Bridge in an exclusive interview.

“At this stage of my career, I’ve matured enough to accept that there will be good days and bad days. I’m confident I’ll achieve great results at the US Open. I’ve battled hard within myself during training, and now it’s time to execute.”

Reflecting on his doubles campaign, Tyagi added, “I’m happy I got to showcase my skills on such a big stage. I’d like to thank my doubles partner, Connor Doig, for being part of that journey.”

Tyagi is currently at a pivotal stage—transitioning from the junior circuit to the pro tour, a challenging leap that many Indians have struggled with in the past. That said, the teenager is confident.

Motivated to excel

Having already reached the semi-finals at two ITF events this year, the teenager is upbeat.

“I’m glad that my transition to the pro-tour has been smooth so far,” he said. “You need to be physically strong to challenge professional players and be ready to take calculated risks. Other than that, there isn’t a huge difference between the junior and pro circuits.”

Currently ranked No. 49 in the world juniors, Tyagi leads a group of five Indians in the ITF junior top 100—an encouraging sign for the future of Indian tennis.

“I share a great camaraderie with the other Indian players, especially Rethin Pranav and Hitesh Chauhan. We go way back, and they’ve played a big role in my growth—by battling me across the net since our childhood.”

With this being his final year on the junior tour, Tyagi is not fixated on rankings. Instead, he is focused on putting together a deep run in the coming tournaments, especially the US Open, for which he warmed-up by reaching the third round at this week’s ITF J300 College Park event.

His motivation, he adds, comes from a deeply personal place.

“I’m grateful to my parents, coaches, and all my well-wishers who’ve supported me to get to this level,” he said.

“The most important person has been my mother, Mrs. Sapna Tyagi. She has motivated me every single day—whether it was getting me to tennis sessions, fitness, or yoga. She led, and I followed. Now, it’s my turn to lead the way forward at the US Open and make my mom and my coaches proud.”