Malaika Rapolu
| 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. | |
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.
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: 4 (3 titles, 1 runner-up)
|
|
| 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 |
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] |
References
- ^ a b Jones, Thomas (May 3, 2024). "Texas senior Malaika Rapolu saving best for last as Longhorns open NCAA tennis postseason". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
- ^ a b c Barker, Jeffrey (May 22, 2020). "That's a Rap-Olu: Cedar Park star joins UT tennis a year early". KEYE-TV. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
- ^ Montalvo, Vicente (October 14, 2020). "Malaika Rapolu opens up on parent-coach dynamic, journey to Texas tennis". The Daily Texan. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
- ^ Ambrose, Anna (April 11, 2024). "Texas women's tennis senior Malaika Rapolu combines experience, ferocity to blossom in final season". The Daily Texan. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
- ^ Macpherson, Alex (November 18, 2024). "Rankings Watch: Aiava, Dmitruk, Rapolu boosted by ITF titles". Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
- ^ Ahmed, Nurein (February 20, 2025). "Four Players Receive WTA Austin Wild Cards". Last Word on Sports. Retrieved February 24, 2025.
- ^ Plotkin, Jay (February 24, 2025). "Texas ex Malaika Rapolu falls in first round of ATX Open, taking her lumps as a young pro". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved March 6, 2025.