Mumbai, Feb 1 (IANS) The 16-year-old sensation Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi returns to the main draw as a wild card at the Mumbai Open WTA 125K Series, which will be held at the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) in Mumbai from February 2-8.

Maaya had her breakout tournament last season as she defeated several higher-ranked international players right from the qualifiers to the main draw semifinals. She was knocked out by eventual champion Jil Teichmann. In her second entry in Mumbai Open, Maaya will take on Thailand’s fifth-seeded Lanlana Tararudee in the opening round of the Main Draw, as she looks to build on her impressive run at the tournament last year.

Reflecting on her breakthrough campaign at the 2025 edition of the Mumbai Open, Maaya said, “The 2025 Mumbai Open was one of my breakthrough tournaments, and I really enjoyed the challenge of playing in front of the home crowd. 2025 was a good year for me as I travelled extensively, competed in several tournaments, and played many higher-ranked players, which gave me valuable experience. It was also one of the first times I played back-to-back tournaments regularly, which helped me understand workload management better.”

After last edition’s heroics, Maaya has high expectations to live up to; however, she doesn’t seem fazed by it. Heading into this year’s tournament, she said, “I don’t consider it as pressure. It’s a privilege and an honour to be in my position where I get to represent my country, play to the best of my ability, and get as much experience under my belt as possible. I really enjoy being on court and playing tennis.”

Looking ahead to her opening-round clash, Maaya emphasised her approach, saying, “My preparation pretty much remains the same against any opponent. It is more about my own game than worrying about the opponent. I’m at a stage in my career where I want to improve my skills and try to play as many high-intensity matches as possible.”

Highlighting MSLTA’s role in her journey, Maaya added, “Last year, in many ways, was the beginning of my journey at a senior level. Being a part of Mumbai Open is always an honour, and I’m grateful to MSLTA, Hon President Prashant Sutar sir, and Hon Secretary Sunder Iyer sir for their constant support to bring me back this year.”

--IANS

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