Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi got a shot in the arm at the recently concluded Mumbai Open.
After her exit at the WTA 125 event, Maaya returned to train at the Rafa Nadal Academy, focused on refining her game.
The Indian prodigy looks up to World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka and loves how she handles pressure. “I love being aggressive on the court,” she told The Hindu. “I feel I handle the pressure well. That’s because I have been playing so many three-set matches recently, so I’m used to handling the pressure and I don’t think about anything else while playing. I play for the point, I stay in the moment, and that gets me through the pressure.”
Her coach Manoj Kumar shared thoughts on the areas that she needs to progress on. “I first saw her in 2020 when she was just 10. What immediately struck me was her confidence. At that time, I never imagined she would achieve so much in such a short span. What stands out most about her is her mental fortitude — If I had to sum it up in one word, I would say fearless.
“There’s room for improvement in all aspects of her game — she’s still very young. If I were to single out one area, it would be consistency with her first serves. While her serve has become more powerful, the percentage of successful first serves needs to improve.
“Additionally, I’d like her to add more variety to her game by working on her net play. The positives, however, are that she’s a very aggressive baseline player, which is undoubtedly her strength.
“She has been able to compete in the ITF juniors circuit, initially in J30, J60, and J100 tournaments, and has shown amazing promise. At the start of last year, though, we did push her to a higher level of competition, and she struggled at first. But constant exposure to tougher competition has sharpened her game, and the results are now visible,” said Manoj.
Manoj also recalled how Maaya displayed her positive spirit at the Mumbai Open when a lot of youngsters were falling ill.
“Before the semifinal when all the other kids were falling ill, Maaya looked at me and said, ‘We’ve got this’. Though she lost to her opponent in that match, her attitude and the will to fight it out was just astounding.
“She has a very different game compared to the rest of the kids. She is super aggressive. Not just that, but she has an amazing mind as well. There’s something about her that makes her special. At that age, to have that kind of confidence is phenomenal.”
The Coimbatore native is only 15 but it’s her quiet, positive attitude that sets her apart.
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