Indian women tennis players continue to make steady strides across the ITF and junior circuits, with notable performances from Zeel Desai, Sahaja Yamalapalli, and Maaya Rajeshwaran making headlines this week.
As the summer hard court season gathers momentum, Indian players are not only gaining valuable ranking points but also making deep runs into international draws in Tunisia, USA, and Germany.
🇮🇳 Zeel Desai Battles Into Quarterfinals in Monastir
At the ITF W15 Monastir event in Tunisia, second-seeded Zeel Desai had to dig deep against Chile’s Solar Donoso in the Round of 16. The 24-year-old Indian, currently ranked #689, survived a tight first set before clinching a 7-6(4), 6-4 win to book her place in the quarterfinals.
Desai showed great composure in the opening set, saving crucial break points and coming through in the tiebreak. Her ability to switch gears in the second set and hold serve under pressure proved key against the world No. 951 Donoso, who showed resilience but lacked the finishing touch. Zeel will now look to build on this result in the latter stages of the tournament as she chases her first title of the 2024–25 season.
🇮🇳 Sahaja Yamalapalli on a Roll in USA
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic at the ITF W35 event in Wichita, USA, Sahaja Yamalapalli delivered one of the most remarkable comebacks of the week. Seeded 7th and ranked #342, Yamalapalli found herself trailing 2-5 in the opening set against American wildcard Hibah Shaikh (#782).
From there, she switched to an aggressive baseline game and won 11 straight games to register a comprehensive 7-5, 6-0 win. This performance not only booked her a spot in the quarterfinals but also reaffirmed her growing status as one of India’s most consistent performers on the international circuit.
Sahaja, a former standout on the U.S. college circuit, has continued her upward trajectory since turning professional, and performances like this could pave the way for her entry into WTA 250 qualifiers later this year.
🇮🇳 Maaya Rajeshwaran Shines Bright in Germany
India’s most promising junior talent this week was 16-year-old Maaya Rajeshwaran, who reached the semifinals of the ITF J200 event in Gladbeck, Germany. Facing Czech Republic’s Sofie Hettlerova, a junior ranked #110 and a recent finalist at J200 Targu Jiu and J100 Potchefstroom, Maaya dominated from start to finish with a 6-0, 6-2 demolition.
This result is significant for Maaya, who has been quietly climbing the junior ranks over the past year. Her movement, court awareness, and aggressive first-strike tennis were on full display against a seasoned junior opponent.
With this win, Maaya is now set to face either South Africa’s Jahnie Van Zyl or third seed Daphnee Mpetshi Perricard of France in the semifinals. A place in the final will give her a massive boost in the junior rankings and further strengthen her case as a future star of Indian tennis.
🇮🇳 Mixed Fortunes Elsewhere
However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Indian women this week. At the W35 ITF event in Taiwan, seventh seed Vaidehi Chaudhary was knocked out in the pre-quarterfinals by Korea’s Yeonwoo Ku with a lopsided 3-6, 1-6 loss. Vaidehi struggled to find her rhythm throughout the match and was unable to make inroads into her opponent’s serve.
In Spain, Ankita Raina, seeded 4th at the W35+H event, exited in the quarterfinals after a closely contested encounter against Italy’s Diletta Cherubini. Ankita lost 5-7, 6-7, in a match where she had her chances in both sets but failed to capitalise on key points. While she showed flashes of her experience, it was ultimately a missed opportunity to earn valuable ranking points in a high-stakes +H (hospitality) event.
🇮🇳 The Road Ahead
With the Asian Games, Grand Slam qualifiers, and the Billie Jean King Cup on the horizon, India’s depth in women’s tennis continues to improve. The performances of players like Maaya, Sahaja, and Zeel this week show a growing pipeline of talent making its mark at both junior and professional levels.
What’s encouraging is the diversity of surfaces and countries where Indian players are now consistently competing—something that reflects their growing adaptability and readiness for higher levels of the sport.
As the season progresses, all eyes will be on whether this next generation can convert breakthrough performances into sustained success—and perhaps soon, into WTA main draw appearances.
