Shristi Selvan won the USTA Girls’ 16s national title in San Diego, defeating Aarini Bhattacharya in three sets after a comeback in the final. The victory gave Selvan her third national singles Gold Ball of 2026 and a main-draw wild card into the US Open Junior Championships.
Shristi Selvan rallies for USTA Girls’ 16s title
SAN DIEGO — Fifteen-year-old Indian-American tennis player Shristi Selvan won the USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 16s National Championships after rallying past fellow Indian-American teenager Aarini Bhattacharya in a three-set final.
The top-seeded Selvan defeated No. 14 seed Bhattacharya 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 to claim the USTA Gold Ball. The victory also earned Selvan a main-draw wild card into the US Open Junior Championships, while Bhattacharya received the Silver Ball.
All-Indian-American final features JTCC training partners
Selvan and Bhattacharya both train at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Maryland. Selvan lives in Laurel, Maryland, and her parents are originally from Chennai, India. Bhattacharya is from Oakton, Virginia, and is a rising junior in the Class of 2028.
The players advanced through opposite halves of the 192-player main draw. Selvan beat sixth-seeded Avita Beitler 6-4, 6-2 in the semifinals, while Bhattacharya upset No. 2 seed Nikol Davletshina 6-2, 6-2.
Third national singles Gold Ball of 2026
The San Diego championship continued a strong 2026 season for Selvan. She opened the year by winning the Girls’ 16s singles title at the USTA Winter National Championships in Orlando, defeating Olivia Lin 6-3, 6-1.
In March, Selvan won both the Girls’ 16s singles and doubles championships at the Easter Bowl in Indian Wells, California. The San Diego victory gives her a third national singles Gold Ball in 2026.
US Open Junior Championships next
Selvan has trained at JTCC from an early age and received the Keith Robert Larson Scholarship Fund award in October 2025, providing need-based support for her tennis development.
After reaching No. 15 in the USTA Girls’ 14s national rankings in early 2025, Selvan is now a three-time national singles champion in the 16s and has secured a place in the US Open junior field. Bhattacharya’s run, including her semifinal upset and three-set final, also capped a strong national performance.
