SAN DIEGO — Fifteen-year-old Indian-American tennis prodigy Shristi Selvan triumphed at the USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 16s National Championships on Saturday, clinching the national title and the prestigious USTA Gold Ball after a hard-fought, three-set victory over fellow Indian-American teenager Aarini Bhattacharya.
A Historic All-Indian-American Final
As the tournament’s top seed, Selvan overcame a first-set deficit to defeat the 14th-seeded Bhattacharya with scores of 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in San Diego, while Bhattacharya earned the Silver Ball for her runner-up finish. The championship showdown was a landmark moment for the Indian-American community, featuring two training partners from the Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC) in College Park, Maryland.
Navigating opposite halves of a massive 192-player main draw, both athletes proved their mettle en route to the finale. In the semifinals, Selvan secured a 6-4, 6-2 win over No. 6 seed Avita Beitler, while Bhattacharya pulled off a major upset by sweeping No. 2 seed Nikol Davletshina 6-2, 6-2. Off the court, Selvan resides in Laurel, Maryland, with family roots originating from Chennai, India, whereas Bhattacharya hails from Oakton, Virginia, and is a rising junior in the Class of 2028.
An Extraordinary 2026 Season for Selvan
Saturday’s victory marks Shristi Selvan’s third national singles Gold Ball of 2026, building on a stellar year that began with a Girls’ 16s singles title at the USTA Winter National Championships in Orlando—where she defeated Olivia Lin 6-3, 6-1—followed by a dominant sweep of both singles and doubles titles at the Easter Bowl in Indian Wells, California, in March, where she overcame top seed Sylvana Jalbert 6-1, 7-5.
Having trained at JTCC from a young age, Selvan was named the second recipient of the Keith Robert Larson Scholarship Fund in October 2025, receiving need-based support of up to $10,000 annually. Reflecting on her trajectory from holding a No. 15 USTA national ranking in the Girls’ 14s in early 2025 to capturing multiple national titles in the 16s division, Selvan’s rapid development has now earned her a main-draw wild card into the upcoming US Open Junior Championships in New York.
Impressive Run by Bhattacharya
Aarini Bhattacharya’s journey to the final was equally remarkable. Entering the tournament as the No. 14 seed, the Oakton teenager demonstrated exceptional skill by dispatching the tournament’s second seed and pushing the top-seeded Selvan to the absolute limit in a competitive three-set championship clash.
