A promising tennis player’s life was cut short on Thursday morning when her father allegedly shot her dead following a heated altercation over a social media video she had posted.
Radhika Yadav, 25, a former state-level tennis player and once ranked among the top 200 in International Tennis Federation (ITF) women’s doubles, was gunned down around 11:30 am at her family’s home in Gurugram’s Sector 57, according to reports.
Police say her father, Deepak Yadav, 49, used his licensed .32 bore revolver to fire three consecutive bullets at her after an argument escalated.
“She was rushed to a private hospital in critical condition but succumbed during treatment,” Sandeep Kumar, Gurugram Police PRO told The Hindustan Times. “The preliminary findings suggest that tension in the house had been building over a social media reel Radhika had posted, which the father disapproved of.”
According to police sources, Deepak Yadav, reportedly angered by the post, confronted his daughter and opened fire.
The Sector 56 police station received a call from the hospital where Radhika had been admitted. By the time officers arrived, she had already died.
“Statements from the family confirmed that the father was responsible,” said Station House Officer Rajender Kumar.
The revolver used in the crime was recovered from the scene and Deepak Yadav was arrested.
Radhika was considered a bright prospect in Indian tennis. According to records from tenniskhelo.com, she had an ITF doubles ranking of 113 and had played at international levels alongside peers such as Poorvi Bhatt and Thaniya Sarai Gogulamanda. In Haryana, she was ranked No. 5 in women’s doubles.
In 2018, she reached a peak ranking of No. 75 in the AITA Girls Under-18 category and maintained her place in the Top 100 for 11 consecutive weeks.
In women’s singles, she climbed to No. 35, while in women’s doubles; she hit a career-best of No. 53 in 2021-staying in the Top 100 for 112 weeks.
The police investigation is ongoing and further legal action will follow after statements from family members and forensic examination.