(September 2, 2025) “For me, this ranking is just another milestone and a reminder that I should keep doing things that I have been doing to be a better player.” When Sahaja Yamalapalli said this after becoming India’s top-ranked women’s tennis player, it captured the calm composure of a young athlete who refuses to let numbers define her. At 24, she has risen steadily through the International Tennis Federation (ITF) circuit and now competes on the global stage under the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) banner, carrying with her the determination of a sportsperson who knows the road ahead is far longer than the one already traveled.
A journey that started in Hyderabad
Born in Hyderabad, Sahaja grew up in a family that valued both academics and discipline. Her mother, Supriya, provided the nurturing backdrop, while her father, Bhavaniprasad Yamalapalli, worked at an engineering college. It was at the age of ten that Sahaja first picked up a racquet, beginning a journey that would soon take her beyond India’s borders.
Scholar and athlete in the U.S.
Sahaja’s academic and sporting promise earned her a place at Sam Houston State University (SHSU) in Texas, where she majored in Food Science and Nutrition. It was here that her tennis career truly blossomed.
She became the first women’s tennis player at SHSU to break into the ITA (Intercollegiate Tennis Association) national rankings, climbing as high as No. 110, and was named the Southland Conference Women’s Tennis Student-Athlete of the Year in 2018, 2019, and 2021. She also won the Player of the Year Award, only the second player in the university’s history to do so.
Balancing coursework and competition, Sahaja established herself as both a standout athlete and a scholar, displaying an early glimpse of her discipline and drive.
Turning pro and breaking barriers
In 2021, Sahaja transitioned to the professional circuit, debuting on the ITF Women’s World Tennis Tour. The learning curve was steep, but she adapted quickly.
She has since clinched four singles titles and one doubles title on the ITF circuit, including the SoCal Pro Series title in California and the ECT ITF Women’s Singles Championship. In February 2024, she made headlines after winning her first main draw match on the WTA Tour at the Mumbai Open, marking her arrival on the big stage.
Climbing the rankings
September 2024 marked a turning point as Sahaja achieved her career-best global ranking of World No. 302, overtaking Ankita Raina to become India’s No. 1 women’s player. Telangana thus produced yet another tennis leader, with Sahaja at the forefront and compatriot B. Shrivalli following close behind.
By mid-2025, her WTA ranking had settled around No. 334–342, with her career-high of No. 284 achieved in October 2024 still standing. Her consistency reflects both the challenges of breaking into the top tiers and the persistence that defines her career.
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Facing the world’s best
Sahaja is candid about the leap required to consistently challenge top-tier players. “With top 100 players, I feel like mentally you have to be there at every point. There is no easy point. To beat them, you have to hit that spot in every corner of the board, every single time,” she remarked in an interview.
Her reflections show the razor-thin margins in professional tennis, where mental stamina and precision often decide outcomes more than raw talent.
Support and mentorship
The young tennis player’s rise has been possible thanks to both personal determination and external support. She credits Prahlad Kumar Jain, a tennis coach and pharmaceutical entrepreneur for financial backing and showing belief in her potential. She is also supported by the Lakshya Sports, a non-profit that helps Indian athletes bridge the gap between talent and opportunity.
Her coach, former Davis Cupper Harsh Mankad, highlighted her unique strengths by mentioning, “Sahaja is a great ball striker and she has tremendous pace. What struck me was her dedication, her commitment to the game, and her tremendous passion. Those are the strengths upon which she has tremendous potential.”
Building a complete game
Though her strengths lie on hard courts, Sahaja has been deliberately diversifying her skill set. Recently, she reached the semifinals of a clay-court championship, a result she views as a stepping stone.
“Essentially, I have been focusing on being a complete player on all surfaces. Definitely trying to get better on clay courts also, though I have been earlier playing mostly on hard courts,” she said.
2025: Staying the course
This year has seen Sahaja continue her steady climb. In July 2025, she reached the Round of 16 at the WTA 125 Hall of Fame Open in Newport, underlining her ability to compete on bigger stages. She also represented India in the Billie Jean King Cup Asia/Oceania Zone Group I matches in Pune earlier in the year, and received a wildcard entry into the singles main draw of the 2025 Mumbai Open.
These appearances reflect her growing presence on the international circuit and her potential to break into the sport’s higher echelons.
A rising star in motion
From Hyderabad’s neighbourhood courts to the U.S. collegiate system and now international tournaments, Sahaja Yamalapalli embodies the spirit of sportsmanship while being ambitious, hardworking, and unafraid to test herself against the world’s best.
Her story is still in its early chapters, but already it offers inspiration. India has found in her not just a national No. 1, but a player with the resilience to dream bigger and climb higher. And as Sahaja herself insists, every match is just one more chance to be “better than yesterday.”
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