Malaika Rapolu
American tennis player (born 2003)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Malaika Rapolu (born April 18, 2003) is an American professional tennis player. She has career-high rankings of No. 439 in singles, achieved on September 22, 2025, and of No. 756 in doubles, achieved on September 15, 2025.
| Country (sports) |  United States |
|---|---|
| Born | April 18, 2003 |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| College | Texas |
| Prize money | US$33,208 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 72–46 |
| Career titles | 3 ITF |
| Highest ranking | No. 389 (13 October 2025) |
| Current ranking | No. 430 (September 22, 2025) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 26–20 |
| Career titles | 2 ITF |
| Highest ranking | No. 721 (13 October 2025) |
| Current ranking | No. 756 (September 22, 2025) |
| Last updated on: September 22, 2025. | |
Early life
Rapolu was born in Cedar Park, Texas.[1][2] She began playing tennis at the age of seven, coached by her father, Madhuker.[3] She attended Round Rock High School and was later homeschooled.[2]
College career
In April 2020, she committed to play collegiate tennis for the Texas Longhorns.[2] She played her final season in 2024.[1][4]
Professional career
In October 2024, she won back-to-back $15k titles in Huamantla. The following month, she won the $40k H-E-B Women's Pro Tennis Open in Austin as a wildcard. With her title in Austin, she rose 245 places in the WTA rankings to a career-high of No. 564 on November 18, 2024.[5]
In February 2025, she made her WTA Tour debut as a wildcard at the ATX Open, but lost in the first round to Nuria Párrizas Díaz.[6][7]
ITF Circuit finals
Singles: 5 (3 titles, 2 runner-ups)
|
|
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1–0 | Oct 2024 | ITF Huamantla, Mexico | W15 | Hard |  Dasha Plekhanova |
7–6(3), 7–5 |
| Win | 2–0 | Oct 2024 | ITF Huamantla, Mexico | W15 | Hard |  Yuliana Monroy |
7–6(3), 6–2 |
| Win | 3–0 | Nov 2024 | ITF Austin, United States | W50 | Hard |  Karina Miller |
6–4, 6–2 |
| Loss | 3–1 | Mar 2025 | ITF Trois-Rivières, Canada | W15 | Hard (i) |  Emily Appleton |
3–6, 6–3, 3–6 |
| Loss | 3–2 | Mar 2026 | ITF Monastir, Tunisia | W15 | Hard | Alicia Dudeney |
6–7(4), 6–7(6) |
Doubles: 5 (2 titles, 3 runner-ups)
|
|
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Partner | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1 | Jun 2023 | ITF San Diego, United States | W15 | Hard |  Anita Sahdiieva |
Kimmi Hance  Tian Fangran |
6–3, 1–6, [9–11] |
| Loss | 0–2 | Jun 2023 | ITF San Diego, United States | W15 | Hard | Anita Sahdiieva |
Sara Daavettila Katherine Hui |
6–7(4), 4–6 |
| Win | 1–2 | Jul 2024 | ITF Lakewood, United States | W15 | Hard | Anita Sahdiieva |
Carolyn Ansari  Gabriella Broadfoot |
6–4, 2–6, [10–8] |
| Win | 2–2 | Oct 2024 | ITF Huamantla, Mexico | W15 | Hard |  Liisa Varul |
 Claudia Sofía Martínez Solís María Fernanda Navarro Oliva |
7–6(4), 4–6, [10–7] |
| Loss | 2–3 | Sep 2025 | ITF Évora, Portugal | W50 | Hard |  Gabriela Knutson |
Catherine Harrison Ashley Lahey |
1–6, 6–1, [8–10] |
