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Jensi Kanabar created history by becoming the first Indian girl to win the Australian Open Under-14 title. The 14-year-old showed great fighting spirit in the final, coming back to beat Australia’s Musemma Cilek 3-6, 6-4, 6-1. After losing the first set and going down 0-2 in the second, Kanabar stayed calm and turned the match around, doing so in front of a crowd largely supporting the home player.
Kanabar had an impressive outing throughout the 2026 Australian Open Asia-Pacific Elite 14 & Under Trophy. She had a dominating performance in the round-robin stage at Melbourne Park, winning all her matches in straight sets to finish top of Group A with a perfect record. She started with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Nepal’s Shivali Gurung, followed it up with a 7-5, 6-4 victory against China’s Jinyu Zhou, and then closed the group stage with a commanding 6-0, 6-1 win over New Zealand’s Jocelyn Ke.
Her strong form continued in the knockout rounds. In the semi-final against Japan’s Aoi Yoshida, Kanabar held her nerve in a tight first set, winning the tiebreak before sealing the match 6-2. That win booked her place in the final, where she completed a memorable week with a spirited comeback to lift the title.
The Asia-Pacific Elite 14 & Under Trophy was launched in 2020 as a joint effort by the Asian Tennis Federation and Tennis Australia. The tournament was paused during the COVID-19 pandemic and returned in 2023. After Arnav Paparkar became the first Indian boy to win the title in 2024, Kanabar has now added another milestone by becoming the tournament’s first Indian female champion, highlighting India’s growing presence in junior tennis.
WHO IS Jensi Kanabar?
Jensi Kanabar is one of India’s brightest young tennis prodigies and has been making steady progress through the junior ranks with a series of strong performances in India and abroad. She comes from Junagadh in Gujarat and started training at a very young age, showing dedication and discipline early in her career.
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Her growth has been clear in the rankings as well. Kanabar rose to the top spot in the All India Tennis Association (AITA) Girls Under-14 and Under-16 categories. By early 2026, she had also broken into the AITA women’s singles rankings, which is a rare achievement for someone so young.
She has already picked up several important titles along the way. In September 2025, Kanabar won the GSPDP Asian Under-14 Junior Championship in Manila, where she beat South Korea’s Lim Yerin, the second seed, in the final. That victory also earned her qualification spots for major junior tournaments in the United States.
Kanabar made a strong start on the international junior circuit as well, winning the ITF J30 Ahmedabad singles title in her very first appearance at that level. Back home, she continued her good form by claiming the Girls’ Under-14 title at the Fenesta Open National Tennis Championship, further underlining her consistency.
Her success has not been limited to junior events. At just 14, Kanabar impressed on the ITF women’s circuit by qualifying for the main draw of a W15 tournament, winning all her matches in straight sets. With her steady performances, strong work ethic and calm approach on court, she is widely seen as one of India’s most exciting young tennis prospects as she moves up the ranks.
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