Maaya Rajeshwaran Wins First ITF Singles Title at 17

Maaya Rajeshwaran won the first professional singles title of her career on Sunday, defeating Spain’s seventh-seeded Celia Cervino Ruiz 6-4, 6-2 in the final of the ITF W35 Lagos in Portugal. The victory gave the 17-year-old Indian her maiden ITF singles crown and completed a notable week in which she also lifted the doubles title.

Rajeshwaran, ranked 1038 in the WTA rankings, secured the final in straight sets against Cervino Ruiz. The result marks an important early professional milestone for one of India’s promising young tennis players, with the teenager ending the event as both a singles and doubles champion.

Straight-sets final delivers maiden singles crown

The singles final saw Rajeshwaran overcome a seeded opponent in Cervino Ruiz, taking the opening set 6-4 before closing out the match 6-2 in the second. Her straight-sets win delivered the first professional singles trophy of her career at the ITF W35 level.

Rajeshwaran’s run included a quarter-final victory over China’s eighth-seeded Jialin Tian. She defeated Tian 6-2, 6-1 to move into the last four of the tournament. In the semi-finals, she received a bye against Netherlands player Britt Du Pree, who had been seeded third.

That path put Rajeshwaran into the championship match against Cervino Ruiz, and she made the opportunity count with a composed result on the scoreline. The 6-4, 6-2 final win ensured that her first professional singles title came before her 18th birthday.

The title also underlined the strength of Rajeshwaran’s week in Lagos. While the singles victory was the headline achievement, she had already collected a doubles trophy earlier in the event alongside Ukraine’s Yelyzaveta Kotliar.

Singles and doubles success in Lagos

Rajeshwaran and Kotliar won the doubles title during the week, giving the Indian teenager a second trophy from the W35 Lagos. The doubles success added further significance to her singles triumph on Sunday, as she left the tournament with titles in both events.

For Rajeshwaran, the singles crown is particularly significant because it is her first title on the professional ITF circuit. At 17, she became the youngest Indian woman to win an ITF singles title, surpassing the mark previously held by Sania Mirza.

The result provides a landmark moment in Rajeshwaran’s developing career. Having entered the tournament ranked 1038 in the WTA rankings, she beat Tian in the quarter-finals, advanced through the semi-finals following Du Pree’s bye, and then defeated Cervino Ruiz for the trophy.

Her week in Portugal therefore ended with two titles: the doubles crown with Kotliar and the maiden singles title secured against Cervino Ruiz. The ITF W35 Lagos victory gives Rajeshwaran a major professional breakthrough at the age of 17.