Major Upset at WTA 125K Abierto Tampico: Sahaja Yamalapalli Defeats Sloane Stephens
In a surprising turn of events at the WTA 125K Abierto Tampico in Mexico, India’s top-ranked female tennis player, Sahaja Yamalapalli, achieved a stunning victory over 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens. On October 15, Yamalapalli, just 24 years old, comfortably won the match in straight sets, finishing with a score of 6-2, 6-2 in just over an hour.
This victory not only highlights the unexpected nature of the match but also showcases Yamalapalli’s skill. Ranked No. 347 in the world, she demonstrated a commanding performance against a much more experienced player.
Yamalapalli’s next challenge will be against Croatia’s Petra Marcinko, currently ranked No. 125 in the world, who also secured a strong win over Bulgaria’s Lia Karatancheva in her first round. Yamalapalli’s success in her match came from converting six out of nine break points and maintaining an impressive 76.5% success rate on her first serves.
Born on October 29, 2000, in Hyderabad, Yamalapalli turned professional in 2021 and has already earned multiple ITF titles—four in singles and one in doubles—while steadily improving her standing in both ITF and lower-tier WTA tournaments.
During her college years in the United States, she played for Sam Houston State University, where she was recognized for her impressive on-court performance and strong academic records. Today, she is celebrated as India’s No. 1 women’s player.
In contrast, Sloane Stephens reached the height of her career in 2017 when she won the US Open by defeating Madison Keys, the reigning Australian Open champion. Over her career, she has won eight WTA singles titles and reached a career-high ranking of No. 3 in 2018. However, injuries and inconsistent performance in recent years have affected her ranking.
This recent upset adds another chapter to Yamalapalli’s growing career and raises expectations for her future matches.
