- By Yashashvi Tak
- Sun, 13 Jul 2025 08:21 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
The tragic death of 25-year-old tennis player Radhika Yadav, who ran a coaching academy in Gurugram’s Sector 56, has left her 20 young students devastated. The academy, which had two courts and could accommodate up to eight players at a time, operated from a rented facility and is now expected to shut down. According to police, Radhika’s father, Deepak Yadav, paid as much as Rs 6 lakh per month in rent for the premises. Many of the students, who regularly competed in national-level tournaments, relied on her for mentorship and guidance.
“The classes were held in the morning. Radhika gave personal attention to every player to improve their game. She closely observed and helped us,” he said. Yash Singh, another player, said, “She made us practice rigorously and knew our games very well. She often arrived at the court before any of us,” Vijay Yadav, one of the players, said, according to the HT report.
Sonu Sisodiya, the ground coordinator, mentioned that Radhika had not appeared tense in the days leading up to the incident. “She arrived on time every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, made the players practice for up to two hours, and then left. Her mother or father usually dropped her off at the academy,” he said.
Sisodiya also shared that Radhika had sent a message saying she would be arriving on Friday morning to coach the players. “However, on Thursday evening, we learned that her father had killed her,” he said, according to the HT report.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Sadar) Yashwant Yadav stated that two weeks ago, when Deepak Yadav asked his daughter to shut down the academy, she refused, insisting that even if she couldn’t compete herself, she could still train and support other players.
“She began coaching young players after a shoulder injury last year ended her professional playing career,” he said, adding that Deepak had spent over Rs 30 lakh on her treatment, but despite the efforts, she was unable to return to competitive tennis.
“During the investigation, we learned that Radhika had asked her father to ignore villagers’ gossip about her academy and earnings, something Deepak failed to understand,” Yadav said, according to the HT report.
