Maaya Rajeshwaran rekindles the spark in Indian tennis

CHENNAI: Seventy minutes. That’s all it took for the Indian pairing of Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi and Shrivalli Bhamidipaty to oust the Czech Republic pairing of Aneta Kuchmova and Aneta Laboutkova 6-3, 6-2 on Court 1. 

As clinical as the game was, that’s not the story. 

With most of the crowd seated in the centre court in anticipation of history from India’s top-ranked star Vaishnavi Adkar, the magic was in Court 1. As soon as Maaya and Shrivalli beat the Czech duo, a sea of spectators rose from their seats and made their way towards a 17-year-old, who is World No. 669. 

Youngsters were among the first to rush towards Maaya, hoping to take home an autograph on their caps, tennis balls and books. She obliged patiently, taking multiple photos before signing for the young kids. Until the start of this week, the 17-year-old wildcard would have hardly dreamt of such a reception, even though she had won two titles in Lagos, Portugal with an unbeaten run in the competition. 

But over the week, through her aggressive forehands and thundering serves, Maaya has become the crowd’s focus, the subject of countless phone cameras and the new obsession of Indian tennis enthusiasts on social media. 

“It is always nice to get recognition. In a country like India, it is definitely really nice to actually have some recognition," Maaya said after she entered the singles’ quarterfinals on Wednesday. 

"But at the end of the day, I think it comes down to tennis. You do well, you learn and get what you want.

It was more than just a quarterfinal appearance; it was a statement. At 17, Maaya had ended a 14-year wait for an Indian woman to reach a WTA Tour-level singles quarterfinal, offering a glimpse of what Indian women's tennis could look like in the years ahead. 

"It's definitely always fun to play with her [Maaya], 'cause she's like a little sister to me. We just wanted to go there and have fun. And she's always an amazing player, and she's one of the players India is looking forward to, and I hope she reaches greater heights,” Shrivalli told journalists after the pair’s win on Thursday. 

“...and the best part about her game is she doesn't back down from a fight. That's something I really love about her, and that's something I do, too.”

What makes Maaya's campaign even more impressive is her ability to sustain the intensity. While the Chennai humidity has left several players gasping for breath, the 17-year-old has continued to compete in both singles and doubles, showing little sign of fatigue.

“It was a little difficult the first couple of days when we practised, but I think over time it was okay. And I think with the recovery part, juniors [tennis] sort of prepares, you know? Whichever junior tournament you play, you end up playing both singles and doubles, back-to-back. I think that sort of prepares you for more matches,” she said. 

In more ways than one, Maaya’s return to Chennai was quite poetic. 

It was the final edition of the WTA 250 event in Chennai, and what better way to bid farewell than having a Tamil ponnu [girl] return home and light up the tournament? With her neon-green trainers and dazzling strokes, Maaya has certainly made herself at home, on and off the court. 

"Chennai is my second home, even though I’m from Coimbatore. I’ve played a ton of matches here, ever since I was like nine. I have always come here, played matches, be it Nationals, Khelo India or other tournaments. I’m always happy to come back to a place that feels like home.”

“I know the people around, it is fun to hang around them, and really happy to see the kind of support that we are getting. I’m so happy that so many of you [fans] are coming out and cheering for us. Hopefully we will get more of this in the tournament.”

At a time when Indian tennis is searching for fresh faces and more reasons to believe, Maaya's breakthrough has offered a much-needed breath of fresh air. The infectious energy, audacious drop shots and aggressive returns have already made her a crowd favourite. Whether she becomes the face of Indian tennis remains to be seen.

But in Chennai, the 17-year-old has certainly given the fans something to smile about.