NEW DELHI : Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya congratulated the 14-year-old Jensi Kanabar from Junagadh in Gujarat, after she became the first Indian girl to win the Australian Open Asia-Pacific Elite 14 and Under Trophy 2026.

The young sensation’s feat marked a watershed moment for Indian junior tennis and underscores the impact of sustained athlete support under the Khelo India scheme.

“From Junagadh to Melbourne — India’s pride serves an ace! Congratulations to our Khelo India athlete Jensi Kanabar from Junagadh, Gujarat, for winning the Australian Open Asia-Pacific Elite 14 & Under Trophy 2026 and becoming the first Indian female to achieve this historic feat,” Mansukh Mandaviya wrote on X.

Jensi etched her name into the annals of Indian tennis history, becoming the first Indian girl to win a title at the 2026 Australian Open Asia-Pacific Elite 14 & Under Trophy held at Melbourne Park, according to a release.

The Gujarati girl clinched a memorable 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory in front of a partisan home crowd against Australia’s Musemma Cilek. Jensi had earlier topped her round-robin group with a perfect record, winning 12 out of 15 games.

“The feeling of winning the Australian Open is fantastic and now I turn my attention to winning the Junior Grand Slam and Pro Circuit as well,” Jensin told SAI from Melbourne on Friday. “Last year I have played the Wimbledon as well as a lot of foreign competitions and that prepared me for this. My major aim remains to give India a medal at the Olympics.”

Jensi has had been backed as a Khelo India Athlete (KIA) since April 2024. Besides financial assistance of Rs 10,000 per month, she has been benefited with access to high-quality coaching and competitive exposure, enhanced training infrastructure and tournament readiness support, besides the financial assistance and developmental backing aimed at preparing India’s junior talent for global platforms. (ANI)