First time is always important: Maaya Rajeshwaran cherishes Wimbledon memories

The Hindu

a day ago

For a developing tennis player, competing in junior Grand Slams is an important experience. Not only do they get to rub shoulders with the best upcoming talents from around the world, but it also provides the vantage point of the top seniors going through their routines before stepping onto the court and fighting for Majors, the ultimate prize in the sport.
Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi, a hard-working 16-year-old who hails from Coimbatore, has had the opportunity to play at all three Juniors Slams this year so far - the Australian Open, the French Open, and most recently, Wimbledon. While the first two are played on surfaces she's familiar with - hard and clay, respectively - the lead-up to the grass Major was different.
Maaya has been training at the prestigious Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain, since February. However, the academy doesn't have a grass court.
Fresh off her title-winning run on clay at a J200 event in Germany in June, Maaya had to quickly adjust to a surface she had never played on.
'When I went there, I felt like I was playing in a garden. It didn't feel like I was playing on a tennis court,' says Maaya, remembering her first grasscourt experience in Roehampton, where she played a J300 tune-up event a week after Germany.
Junior Wimbledon qualifiers took place at the same venue. The Indian, currently World No. 55, has been making steady progress in terms of rankings and is very close to the point where she can directly qualify for the main draw at Junior Slams. At Wimbledon, she was the top seed in the qualifiers. After a massive come-from-behind win over China's Shiyu Ye, Maaya went down to Spain's Eugenia Zozaya Menendez in the match tiebreak in the final round.
It was still an improvement, as in Melbourne, she didn't even get past the first hurdle in qualifiers. In Paris, she may have had a better chance, but visa issues meant that she reached the venue barely four hours before her match and suffered another first-round defeat at the same stage.
'Roland Garros was a disaster. I had to fly from India because of visa problems. I couldn't practice in Mumbai because of rainfall. I couldn't even play the pre-event. A few problems here and there, but yes, at every tournament, there's a lesson learned,' says Maaya, summing up her Paris experience.
Wimbledon wasn't just a bit better for her in terms of her own matches. There were other benefits too. 'When I went into Wimbledon Park, they have an area where the pros and the juniors warm up together. I didn't hit with anyone but almost saw all the professional players going through their routines,' recalls Maaya.
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'I saw a lot of matches. There was one player from the academy, an Argentinian (Solana Sierra) I trained with, who got into the main draw as a lucky loser and made the fourth round in the senior draw.
'Wimbledon was a very good experience, and it gave me lots of memories that I will carry for a lifetime because the first time is always important. Earlier, I thought I wouldn't be a good player on grass. But, overall, a few corrections here and there, and I should be good.'
While her focus shifts towards preparing for the Junior US Open, Maaya is aware of two big opportunities which may arise in the near future.
The country is set to host the WTA 250 Chennai Open, its first-ever Tour-level women's event in three years, from October 27 to November 2. On the sidelines of a recent press conference, Tamil Nadu Tennis Association President and Indian tennis legend Vijay Amritraj hinted that the teenager might be awarded a main-draw wildcard.
If it does happen, it would be tough to question the decision, courtesy of Maaya's stunning run as a qualifier at the WTA 125 Mumbai Open earlier this year. Not only did she become the youngest Indian to earn a WTA point, but she also went on to defeat multiple seasoned players before her loss in the semifinals.
'I hope that I get a wildcard. It's in Chennai. It's my home state. If I get a wildcard, it's the best reason for me to come back home as well. Playing in front of the Indian crowd is very exciting because I've done well in the past, and they give me a lot of support,' says Maaya.
Maaya was also a reserve member when the Indian team won the regional competition in Pune in April to qualify for the Billie Jean King Cup Playoffs for only the second time in history.
The playoffs, in which India faces the Netherlands and Slovenia, are going to be held at the SM Krishna Tennis Stadium in Bengaluru from November 14 to 16, and captain Vishal Uppal might be tempted to include the talented teenager in the main squad.
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Maaya Rajeshwaran