Maya Rajeshwaran Revati returned to the breakthrough stage on the Mumbai Open WTA 125K, however she was a 12 months older and clearly completely different from {the teenager} who reached the historic semi-finals final 12 months. The 16-year-old arrived on the Australian Open sporting the most recent Nike assortment, accompanied by coaches from the Rafa Nadal Academy, and searching bodily stronger after a 12 months of intense competitors that has been a psychological curler coaster.
Sadly, she was unable to repeat final 12 months’s success, dropping within the first spherical to fifth seed Ranrana Talardi of Thailand 3-6, 2-6. However at this stage in her younger profession, even this straight loss had potential and classes to be discovered. After a powerful run final 12 months that earned her the primary WTA rating factors of her profession, she is commonly gutted by a first-round loss, however she instantly seemed for methods to study from her loss after the match, displaying immense psychological maturity throughout the robust instances.
“I’ve discovered rather a lot by way of what I have been engaged on currently. To be sincere, I wasn’t too pleased with how I performed in November and December, however I believe I’ve gotten off to a fairly good begin right here. Taking a look at my progress and what I have been engaged on, I believe I’ve made some progress,” Maya, at the moment 56th within the junior rankings, mentioned after the match.
“I am not used to taking part in with a participant like Ranlana at the moment. She’s not the form of participant who provides me an opportunity to attain factors. I’ve to run each shot. However at larger ranges, gamers do not provide you with these factors. So I believe this was a step the place I may discover extra weapons to beat them and study so as to add extra weapons to my recreation.”
Including energy to her recreation has been a spotlight for Maya and her staff over the past 12 months, particularly since she went to Spain on a scholarship to the Nadal Academy. Though his time within the nation was restricted on account of visa points, he was surrounded by {many professional} gamers on tour, and at instances Rafa and his “uncle” Toni Nadal have been watching the video games, so he absorbed rather a lot. This high quality of coaching is uncommon for a younger Indian tennis participant, and it has modified Maya to the core.
Eventually 12 months’s Mumbai Open, the 15-year-old had restricted time within the fitness center. Now she’s working even more durable on her energy positive aspects and it reveals. She’s grown taller (pure for a 16-year-old), gained extra muscle mass (hours spent on the interest fitness center), and has a staff round her that works on completely different elements of her recreation. However Nadal Academy coach Polina Radeva was fast to quipped: “Please, do not inform her that. We hold telling her she’s not robust sufficient.”
“Clearly we won’t enhance muscle mass in the mean time, however that is one of many largest objectives for Maya, as a result of she’s a really aggressive athlete and must construct extra energy in each her legs and higher physique to keep up that model. We have now a whole lot of competitors in the mean time, however I hope that after we’ve the chance to have a correct coaching block, we are able to concentrate on these issues,” says Radeva.
Maaya underwent a much less apparent however way more noticeable psychological change throughout her first full 12 months of intense competitors. She was down-to-earth final 12 months, too, however now the psychological acuity of a prime athlete has additionally permeated her character. Sighing a lot older than her years, the teenage lady confessed that she by no means imagined her life can be so difficult and that she nonetheless must develop up.
“Final 12 months was an enormous curler coaster for me,” she smiles. “There have been some moments the place I used to be a bit of overwhelmed. Being 16 years previous, I truthfully did not count on the lifetime of an athlete to be this robust.”
“I used to be doing properly, however I hit all-time low a whole lot of instances. It was laborious for me to just accept that. It was the primary time I noticed myself taking part in rather well and I do not assume I might lose within the first spherical…I am not speaking about this event, however normally, it isn’t straightforward to just accept that. I believe I’ve to develop a bit of extra emotionally by way of studying higher from losses.”
She was nearly brutally sincere about how she grew to become evasive after a short interval of self-doubt, and credited these round her with serving to her recuperate from despair. An early loss on the Junior Grand Slam, which was her major purpose for the 2025 season, did not assist.
“There was a interval in these three months once I felt like I wasn’t doing properly… I wasn’t calling anybody and I misplaced confidence. However I had lots of people round me who helped me. I am very fortunate and really grateful that I had individuals who had performed it earlier than and inspired me that I may do it once more. With out them, it will have been very tough.”
When Maaya loses, even within the exhibition league, it impacts her to the purpose the place she will get laborious on herself, and he or she’s nonetheless someplace in a little bit of a hazy thoughts house. She is a fighter, as her coach calls her, and you’ll see her attempting to channel this intuition on the court docket. That is a long-term constructive. The heartbreak in Mumbai or Melbourne 10 days in the past reveals that she remains to be a piece in progress and rising in the suitable course. “As you noticed at the moment, we nonetheless have a protracted solution to go, but it surely’s an excellent first step to construct. I am blissful to see her working and considering. Crucial factor for me is for her to assume on the court docket and perceive why her errors occurred,” Radeva says.
Maaya calls this time a shell and desires to interrupt out of it. “I really feel like I am in a bit of shell. If I escape of that shell, I can actually be who I need to be. I believe I would like extra expertise and I must compete extra to interrupt out. I am simply ready for that second to interrupt out of it. And when that occurs, I believe I will be adequate.”
With Maaya’s pure expertise and the help of a devoted staff, she has the potential to be greater than succesful. A junior grand slam, a WTA 125K and a wild card for the ITF event at dwelling (in Pune subsequent week) are all elements to reaching that stage quickly.
