Maaya Rajeshwaran Calls Sania Mirza a Legend and Idol After Historic W35 Lagos Title

The 17-year-old produced an impressive double-title performance in Lagos, winning the singles crown without dropping a set in the main draw before partnering Ukraine’s Yelyzaveta Kotliar to claim the doubles trophy.

Maaya defeated Spain’s Celia Cervino Ruiz 6-4, 6-2 in the singles final to become the youngest Indian woman to win a W35 singles title, breaking a record held by Sania for 22 years.

Asked whether she hoped to surpass the former Grand Slam champion, Maaya rejected the comparison and praised Sania’s contribution to Indian tennis.

“Well, I don’t think you can actually surpass her, you know, because she’s a legend and she’ll always remain a legend,” Maaya said during a virtual media interaction.

She added that Sania had been an inspiration while she was growing up and had helped make tennis more visible in India.

“She’s someone who’s made tennis visible in the country after so many years,” the teenager said, adding that she continued to follow Sania’s interviews and podcasts despite not having interacted with her extensively.

Maaya’s triumph in Lagos marked a significant breakthrough after she entered the tournament ranked world No. 1,038 and qualified for the main draw. She then defeated top seed Justina Mikulskyte in the opening round before continuing her run against higher-ranked opponents.

Her victory over Mikulskyte was particularly notable. After falling 0-5 behind in the first set, Maaya fought back to win it 7-5 and then dominated the second set 6-1.

Recalling the comeback, she said checking the on-court clock helped change her mindset.

“I looked at the clock and it was, I think, 25 minutes into the match. And the first thing that came into my mind is I’m not losing a set in 25 minutes,” she said.

The teenager explained that she then focused on winning one point at a time rather than worrying about the deficit. The turnaround gave her momentum and reinforced her belief that matches at the professional level often depend on who performs better on a particular day.

Despite the achievement, Maaya was careful not to place excessive expectations on herself.

“I think this is just sort of a start because it’s the first title. And it’s a good sign to start off the pro career,” she said, describing the win primarily as a confidence boost for upcoming tournaments.

Maaya also won the doubles title with Kotliar, beating China’s Min Liu and Italy’s Carlotta Moccia 0-6, 6-2, 10-7.

The teenager, who trains at Elite Tennis Centre in southern France, recently left the Rafa Nadal Academy to pursue what she described as the best option for her development. She said her time around Rafael Nadal had been inspiring, particularly his guidance to players preparing for Grand Slam tournaments.

She also recalled spending time on court with Nadal’s uncle and former coach, Toni Nadal, during the summer of 2025.

Looking ahead, Maaya wants to compete more regularly on the professional circuit, improve her ranking and strengthen her technical, physical and mental game. She acknowledged that her junior Grand Slam performances this year had fallen short of her expectations but said she was focused on learning from those experiences.

Although she has another year of junior eligibility remaining, she expects to balance professional tournaments with junior Grand Slams. She is also open to playing at the Chennai Open if offered a wild card.

For now, the young Indian is focused on building on her Lagos success without setting rigid targets, saying she wants to keep improving, enjoy competing and allow the results to follow.