In a shocking case of domestic violence, promising Indian tennis player Radhika Yadav was shot dead by her father, Deepak Yadav, at their residence in Gurugram’s Sushant Lok Phase-2. The tragic incident occurred on Thursday morning and has sent shockwaves through the Indian sports fraternity.
Radhika, 25, had earned recognition at the international level and was running a successful tennis academy in Gurugram. According to police, the accused father fired three bullets at his daughter while she was cooking in the kitchen. The motive behind the murder, as revealed during the preliminary investigation, appears to be rooted in Deepak’s resentment over his daughter’s professional success and the societal taunts he received for living off her income.
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pressuring Radhika to shut down academy
Sources close to the family revealed that Deepak had invested over ₹1.25 crore in helping Radhika establish her tennis academy. Initially supportive, Deepak soon began pressuring Radhika to shut it down, reportedly due to negative remarks from neighbours accusing him of enjoying his daughter’s earnings. Despite the academy generating good income and allowing Radhika to train aspiring tennis players, her father saw it as a threat to his pride.
For the past two weeks, Radhika and her father were engaged in daily arguments over the academy’s future. On the day of the murder, another such altercation broke out. When Radhika refused once again to comply with her father’s demand, Deepak allegedly shot her with his licensed .32 bore pistol.
Family Feud Over Career Turns Fatal
Radhika’s uncle, Kuldeep Yadav, filed an FIR and gave a detailed statement to the police. He explained that Deepak, his wife Manju, and daughter Radhika lived on the first floor, while he and his family stayed on the ground floor. Around 9 a.m. Thursday, a heated exchange between Deepak and Radhika escalated. Moments later, Kuldeep heard gunshots.
Kuldeep and his son rushed Radhika to Asia Maringo Hospital, but doctors declared her dead on arrival. Deepak, meanwhile, remained at the crime scene until police arrived and arrested him.
Accused Father Arrested, Confesses to Crime During Interrogation
SHO Vinod Kumar from Sector 57 police station confirmed that Deepak Yadav was taken into custody at the residence. During the interrogation, the 50-year-old real estate developer and landlord admitted to the murder. He stated that although he was proud of his daughter’s achievements, constant taunts from society about living off her income pushed him over the edge.
He confessed, “People would say, ‘Your daughter is earning and you’re enjoying the luxury.’ I was tired of hearing it. I asked Radhika to shut the academy, but she refused every time. That morning, I lost control.”
Deepak was presented in court and remanded to one day of police custody for further questioning. The postmortem was scheduled to be conducted the same day.
Mother’s Presence in Question, Contradictory Statements Arise
While Deepak’s wife Manju initially claimed she was not home during the incident due to illness, Radhika’s uncle contested her statement, saying she was present on the first floor during the shooting. Police are likely to question her further to verify her claims.
Represented India in multiple global tournaments
Radhika Yadav, born on March 23, 2000, had carved a name for herself in both national and international tennis circuits. She held a career-high ITF (International Tennis Federation) ranking of 1638 and had represented India in multiple global tournaments.
In June 2024, she competed in the prestigious W15 tournament in Tunisia. Back in 2017, she played a notable match in Gwalior against Taiwan’s Hsin-Yuan Shih. Radhika was also a registered athlete under the All India Tennis Association (AITA), consistently performing well in singles and doubles categories.
In AITA rankings, she achieved the 75th position in Girls U-18 on January 22, 2018, and reached the 35th rank in Women’s Singles by February that year. In doubles, she broke into the top 100 and held her position for over 112 weeks, peaking at 53rd on April 5, 2021. By November 2024, she had achieved an ITF women’s doubles ranking of 113—her career best.
She was among only four female players from Haryana to be featured in the top 100 AITA women’s singles rankings, a testament to her dedication and talent.
Sports Community Mourns the Loss of a Promising Star
The Indian tennis community has expressed deep sorrow over the tragic loss. Fellow athletes, coaches, and tennis officials have taken to social media, offering condolences and remembering Radhika not only as a gifted player but also as a mentor to many.
Her untimely death has also sparked conversations around mental health, parental expectations, and the pressures faced by women athletes—particularly in patriarchal environments.
