Ali Thameem
Rising tennis star Naba Nishan, 15, has won both the singles and doubles championships at the 2nd ATF Maldives Junior Open 2025.
In yesterday’s singles final, Naba defeated fellow Maldivian Keyara Usama Ali in three sets. Naba took the opener 6-2, but Keyara fought back with a 6-4 win in the second. The deciding set stretched to 1 hour and 51 minutes before Naba sealed the championship with another 6-4 result.
The contest was evenly balanced on paper: Naba won 100 of the 192 points played (52.1%), while Keyara claimed 92 (47.9%). Keyara struck the only ace of the match, but also hit nine double faults compared to Naba’s five. Both players created plenty of opportunities on return; Naba converted 9 of 19 break points (47.4%), while Keyara managed 7 of 16 (43.8%).
Naba’s road to the final included a commanding 6-1, 6-1 semifinal victory over Azita Aisha Yamin and a gritty quarterfinal comeback against Aishath Karin Saizan, who retired in the third set.
Naba partnered with Manha Mohamed Ali to win the girls’ doubles championship. The Maldivian duo eased past Azita and Malsha Mohamed 6-3, 6-1 in Wednesday’s final. They dominated the points tally, winning nearly two-thirds of the total played (56 of 85). Naba and Manha also eliminated Karin and Indian partner Das Ahana in the semifinals, 6-1, 6-3.
The second edition of the ATF Maldives Junior Open, which began Monday, featured 18 players in the boys’ draw and 13 in the girls’. The inaugural event last December saw Aaraa Aasal Azim reach the girls’ final.
Both Naba and Manha arrive at this tournament in strong form following their performances at the ITF J30 Maldives events in August. Naba became the only Maldivian to reach the semifinals in both the first and the second week of the two-part tournament. Manha, 15, had started off by defeating Kazakhstan’s Tamara Ermakova, the top seed.
Editor’s note: This article has been edited to add context and correct a statistical mistake.
