Bengaluru, June 9 (IANS) Continuing her meteoric rise on the international junior tennis circuit, the 13-year-old Bengaluru prodigy Srishti Kiran has achieved another significant milestone by becoming the World No. 1 in the Under-13 age group rankings.

The achievement comes on the back of an extraordinary run that saw Srishti win five consecutive ITF junior titles before finishing runner-up at the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors J100 Guatemala last week.

Her remarkable consistency and success propelled her to a career-high ITF Junior ranking of No. 357, making her the highest-ranked player globally in the Under-13 category.

What makes the feat even more remarkable is that Srishti achieved the distinction despite competing in only eight ranking events, whereas the rankings are calculated based on a maximum of ten tournaments. The two events she was unable to participate in were missed due to financial and logistical constraints, making her ascent to the top of the Under-13 rankings even more noteworthy.

Despite having two fewer counting tournaments than many of her closest rivals, the young Indian accumulated enough points through her outstanding performances to emerge as the World No. 1 in the Under-13 age group.

“I’m really happy to become World No. 1 in my age group. It’s something I wasn’t thinking about at the start of the year, but all the hard work with my coaches, family, and support team is paying off,” said Srishti.

“The last few weeks have been very special. Winning five titles in a row and then reaching another final has given me a lot of confidence. At the same time, I know there is still a long way to go and many things I need to improve in my game,” she added.

Srishti’s international campaign is set to continue in Europe. Subject to gaining entry into the main draw, she is expected to compete in a J300 event in the United Kingdom, regarded as one of the premier junior tournaments on the circuit and a key lead-up event to the prestigious Wimbledon Junior Championships.

The youngster is currently preparing for the grass-court season and is eagerly looking forward to the opportunity of competing on one of tennis’ most iconic surfaces.

“Playing on grass and hopefully competing at Wimbledon Juniors is a dream for every young tennis player. If I get into the J300 event, it will be a great opportunity to learn and test myself against some of the best juniors in the world,” said Srishti.

–IANS

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