“I just wanted to qualify so I could play at the main stadium,” were Niluka Madurawe’s first words as we spoke about qualifying for the main draw of the Australian Open Junior Championships. The Sunnyvale resident has steadily broadened her horizons, by first playing in NorCal tournaments, then by representing the section nationally, finally by traveling across the world to continue climbing the rankings.
Born into a family of tennis players – her mother moved from Sri Lanka to play for Auburn University, introduced her older brother to the game, then Niluka who picked up a racquet at the age of seven. “I love the individual aspect of the game, it’s just you and the racquet,” Niluka laughed, explaining that it’s in contrast with her off court fun personality. The powerful striker might be outgoing off the court, but don’t be fooled, as it is only a match to her intensity and focus on the court.
Niluka Madurawe during the 2017 Maze Cup.
As a top-five player in NorCal since 2014, Niluka started playing tournaments two short years after picking up her first racquet. “I started playing the local tournaments and also participated in junior team tennis growing up,” Niluka fondly remembers. “As I got better, I was invited to USTA Camps, and also played on Zonal teams, and Maze Cup teams. These team events were my favorite of the year because I got a ton of experience and met great players and coaches.” In 2014, Niluka was ranked the No. 1 player in NorCal in the girls’ 14, and never stepped out of the top five after that. Even as she changed her game with her current coach Nick Fustar, of Eagles Fustar Academy, she stayed in the top-five of the NorCal ranking. “I started working on a more aggressive game in 2015, and the results took a while to follow, but when my game started coming together, the results came easier,” Niluka explained. “I was winning before, and even though the results weren’t as good when I first changed my game, I liked the direction it was taking, so I stuck with it, and it’s really paying off now.”
Picture on the left: Sarah Bahsoun and Niluka Madurawe at the Team NorCal Training in 2015. Picture on the right: 2015 BG16 Zonal Team.
“Paying off” would be an understatement as Niluka reached her first ever main draw of a junior Grand Slam by winning her two qualifying matches. Reliving the experience, Niluka admitted being extremely nervous prior to her first qualifying round match. “I wanted to qualify so badly, because one, you don’t want to come all the way to Australia for nothing, and two, the qualifying rounds aren’t played where the main event actually is, so I really wanted to get there,” the determination still palpable in her voice. “Once I qualified, I just enjoyed everything! I drove to Melbourne, got my badge, and checked in at the site, just like the pros. It is really different even from the ITF tournaments I play; everything is more professional and prestigious.” Niluka found positives and gained a lot of confidence from her first round loss in the main draw and from her experience down under. “I played pretty well and had my chances in the second set, but my opponent was good, and advanced to the quarterfinals.” On top of the on court experience, Niluka got the chance to talk to the Zverev brothers who shared their experience.
Picture on the left: Niluka Madurawe with other players during the 2018 Australian Open players party. Picture on the right: Niluka Madurawe playing at the 2018 Junior Australian Open Championships.
Following the Australian Open, Niluka showed her current form by reaching the singles semifinals and the doubles finals at the ITF Costa Rica Bowl. Currently ranked 122 in the world as a junior, she is fighting to get a chance to play the junior Wimbledon Championships and the Junior US Open Championships before heading to Stanford in the Fall. “I am really excited to be part of a team because a lot of juniors don’t get that experience, and I feel much more prepared having played in JTT leagues, and having been part of several NorCal teams.”
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