Maaya Rajeshwaran pulls off stunning upset to claim biggest career win at Monastir

Maaya Rajeshwaran stunned world No. 196 and top seed Anastasia Gasanova 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 at W35 Monastir to register the biggest win of her career and extend her winning streak to nine matches.Maaya Rajeshwaran defeated top seed Anastasia Gasanova 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 . Courtesy: Maaya Rajeshwaran Instagram/ReutersNew Delhi,Oct 21, 2026 21:12 ISTMaaya Rajeshwaran’s rise in tennis continues to gather momentum. The Indian teenager produced the biggest victory of her career at the W35 Monastir tournament, staging a superb comeback to defeat world No. 196 Anastasia Gasanova of Russia in the opening round.Ranked 726th in the world, Maaya defeated the tournament’s top seed 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 to underline her growing potential on the professional circuit. Gasanova, who reached a career-high ranking of 121 in 2022, had also qualified for Wimbledon 2026 and reached the second round, where she lost to Naomi Osaka.The victory extended Maaya’s winning streak to nine matches, further highlighting the rapid progress she is making. She had also beaten a tournament top seed in the opening round of the W35 Lagos event a couple of weeks earlier, showing that her Monastir performance was no isolated result.MAAYA KEEPS SHININGThe 17-year-old recovered impressively after losing the opening set, taking the second 6-2 before holding her nerve to close out the deciding set 6-4. Beating a player ranked more than 500 places above her marks a significant milestone as she continues to make the transition to the senior circuit. Her recent triumph at the W35 Lagos tournament had already put her in the spotlight. Maaya defeated Spain’s Celia Cervino Ruiz 6-4, 6-2 in the final to claim her maiden professional singles title. She also won the doubles crown alongside Ukraine’s Yelyzaveta Kotliar, completing a memorable double.The Lagos victory saw Maaya break a 22-year-old record held by Indian tennis legend Sania Mirza. At 17 years and 121 days, she became the youngest Indian woman to win a singles title at W35 level or higher, surpassing Sania’s mark.CHENNAI OPEN WILDCARD AWAITS Maaya’s progress is also earning her opportunities on bigger stages. She has received a wildcard for the Chennai Open 2026, scheduled to be held at the SDAT Stadium from November 2 to 8.She is among the players awarded wildcards, alongside fellow Indians Vaishnavi Adkar and Sahaja Yamalapalli. American Katherine Hui, the 2023 US Open girls’ singles champion, has also received a wildcard.For Maaya, the Chennai Open will offer another opportunity to test herself against stronger opposition and build on the confidence gained from her recent title-winning run and Monastir upset. With a nine-match winning streak and a record-breaking achievement behind her, the teenager continues to make a strong case for herself as one of India’s emerging tennis talents.- Ends