Malaika Rapolu_01_(cropped).jpg) |
| Country (sports) | .png) United States |
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| Born | (2003-04-18) April 18, 2003
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| Plays | Right (two-handed backhand) |
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| College | Austin, Texas |
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| Prize money | $60,789 |
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| Career record | 109–70 |
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| Career titles | 4 ITF |
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| Highest ranking | No. 336 (August 3, 2026) |
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| Current ranking | No. 339 (August 10, 2026) |
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| Career record | 31–35 |
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| Career titles | 2 ITF |
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| Highest ranking | No. 658 (February 2, 2026) |
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| Current ranking | No. 680 (August 10, 2026) |
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| Last updated on: August 17, 2026. |
Malaika Rapolu (born April 18, 2003) is an American professional tennis player. She has career-high rankings of 336 in singles, achieved on 3 August 2026, and 658 in doubles, attained in February 2026.
Career
College
In April 2020, Rapolu committed to play collegiate tennis for the Texas Longhorns.[2] She played her final season in 2024.[1][4]
Professional
In October 2024, Rapolu won back-to-back W15 titles in Huamantla. The following month, she won the W40 Women's Pro Tennis Open in Austin as a wildcard entrant. With her title in Austin, she rose 245 places in the WTA rankings to a career-high of No. 564 on 18 November.[5]
In February 2025, she made her WTA Tour debut as a wildcard at the ATX Open, but lost in the first round to Nuria Párrizas Díaz.[6][7]
ITF Circuit finals
Singles: 6 (4 titles, 2 runner-ups)
| Legend |
|---|
| W50 tournaments (1–0) |
| W35 tournaments (1–0) |
| W15 tournaments (2–2) |
|
| Finals by surface |
|---|
| Hard (4–2) |
|
| Result |
W–L |
Date |
Tournament |
Tier |
Surface |
Opponent |
Score |
| Win |
1–0 |
Oct 2024 |
ITF Huamantla, Mexico |
W15 |
Hard |
.svg.png) Dasha Plekhanova |
7–6(3), 7–5 |
| Win |
2–0 |
Oct 2024 |
ITF Huamantla, Mexico |
W15 |
Hard |
 Yuliana Monroy |
7–6(3), 6–2 |
| Win |
3–0 |
Nov 2024 |
ITF Austin, United States |
W50 |
Hard |
 Karina Miller |
6–4, 6–2 |
| Loss |
3–1 |
Mar 2025 |
ITF Trois-Rivières, Canada |
W15 |
Hard (i) |
 Emily Appleton |
3–6, 6–3, 3–6 |
| Loss |
3–2 |
Mar 2026 |
ITF Monastir, Tunisia |
W15 |
Hard |
Alicia Dudeney |
6–7(4), 6–7(6) |
| Win |
4–2 |
Jul 2026 |
ITF Santa Fe, United States |
W35 |
Hard |
Hina Inoue |
6–2, 6–0 |
Doubles: 5 (2 titles, 3 runner-ups)
| Legend |
|---|
| W50 tournaments (0–1) |
| W15 tournaments (2–2) |
|
| Finals by surface |
|---|
| Hard (2–3) |
|
| Result |
W–L |
Date |
Tournament |
Tier |
Surface |
Partner |
Opponent |
Score |
| Loss |
0–1 |
Jun 2023 |
ITF San Diego, US |
W15 |
Hard |
 Anita Sahdiieva |
Kimmi Hance
 Tian Fangran |
6–3, 1–6, [9–11] |
| Loss |
0–2 |
Jun 2023 |
ITF San Diego, US |
W15 |
Hard |
Anita Sahdiieva |
Sara Daavettila
Katherine Hui |
6–7(4), 4–6 |
| Win |
1–2 |
Jul 2024 |
ITF Lakewood, US |
W15 |
Hard |
Anita Sahdiieva |
Carolyn Ansari
 Gabriella Broadfoot |
6–4, 2–6, [10–8] |
| Win |
2–2 |
Oct 2024 |
ITF Huamantla, Mexico |
W15 |
Hard |
 Liisa Varul |
 Claudia Sofía Martínez
Fernanda Navarro |
7–6(4), 4–6, [10–7] |
| Loss |
2–3 |
Sep 2025 |
ITF Évora, Portugal |
W50 |
Hard |
 Gabriela Knutson |
Catherine Harrison
Ashley Lahey |
1–6, 6–1, [8–10] |
References
- 1 2 Jones, Thomas (May 3, 2024). "Texas senior Malaika Rapolu saving best for last as Longhorns open NCAA tennis postseason". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
- 1 2 3 Barker, Jeffrey (May 22, 2020). "That's a Rap-Olu: Cedar Park star joins UT tennis a year early". KEYE-TV. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
- ↑ Montalvo, Vicente (October 14, 2020). "Malaika Rapolu opens up on parent-coach dynamic, journey to Texas tennis". The Daily Texan. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
- ↑ Ambrose, Anna (April 11, 2024). "Texas women's tennis senior Malaika Rapolu combines experience, ferocity to blossom in final season". The Daily Texan. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
- ↑ Macpherson, Alex (November 18, 2024). "Rankings Watch: Aiava, Dmitruk, Rapolu boosted by ITF titles". Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
- ↑ Ahmed, Nurein (February 20, 2025). "Four Players Receive WTA Austin Wild Cards". Last Word on Sports. Retrieved February 24, 2025.
- ↑ Plotkin, Jay (February 24, 2025). "Texas ex Malaika Rapolu falls in first round of ATX Open, taking her lumps as a young pro". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved March 6, 2025.