Jensi Kanabar etched her name in the record books at just 14 years and five months, becoming the youngest Indian woman to reach the quarterfinals of a professional singles competition. In doing so, she surpassed the 25-year-old milestone previously held by Sania Mirza, marking a proud moment for Indian tennis.
Playing only her second ITF tournament, Kanabar displayed a poise far beyond her years. 22-year-old Sandeepti Singh Rao stunned with a 6-3, 7-5 win in the round of 16, saving four crucial set points in the second set to seal her quarter-final berth at the ITF W15 in New Delhi.
Her campaign began in dominant fashion with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Jaya Kapoor in the Round of 32. Carrying that momentum forward, Kanabar combined fearless shooting with impressive maturity.
List of youngest Indian women to reach quarterfinals of professional singles
- Jensi Kanabar – 14 years 5m 0d
- Sania Mirza – 14 years 5m 11d
- Ankita Bhambri – 14 years 8m
- Tara Iyer – 15y 0m
- Isha Lakhani – 15y 0m
- Rutuja Bhosale – 15 years 2m
- Sanaa Bhambri – 15 years 2m
- Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi – 15 years 6m
- Shruti Ahlawat – 15 years 7m
- Parthsarthi Arun Mundhe – 15y 7m
- Mahak Jain – 15y 8m
JENSI KANABAR ARE STILL GROWING
Earlier this year, Jensi made history by becoming the first Indian woman to win the Australian Open U14 titlesealing a remarkable comeback victory over Australia’s Musemma Cilek 3–6, 6–4, 6–1 in the final. At 3-6, 0-2 down, the 14-year-old showed exceptional composure to turn the game around despite the home crowd’s supporters.
Her Australian Open 2026 Asia-Pacific Elite 14 & Under Trophy campaign has been dominant throughout. Kanabar dominated Group A with a flawless 3-0 record, defeating Shivali Gurung, Jinyu Zhou and Jocelyn Ke in straight sets. She then won 7-6(3), 6-2 over Aoi Yoshida in the semifinals. Kanabar capped a stellar week with a fighting comeback to secure a historic title.
Jensi Kanabar is emerging as one of the brightest young tennis talents in India, who is fast rising through the junior ranks with consistent performances. Hailing from Junagadh in Gujarat, she has already topped the AITA Girls Under-14 and Under-16 rankings and will break into the women’s circuit in early 2026.
Her achievements include winning the GSPDP Asian U-14 Championship in Manila and the ITF J30 Ahmedabad title on her debut. She also won the prestigious Fenesta Open U-14 title. At just 14 years old, Kanabar has made a strong impression on the ITF women’s circuit, showing maturity, consistency and the ability to compete at higher levels.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
30 Apr 2026 17:28 IST
