Young tennis pro allegedly shot and killed by father in fit of jealously

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A young Indian tennis player was allegedly killed by her father after a dispute over her career.

Radhika Yadav died in Gurugram, India, last Thursday after allegedly being shot by dad Deepak Yadav, who has been arrested.

Gurugram Police were notified by a hospital that a woman had died due to injuries sustained in a shooting, prompting an investigation. When police arrived at the hospital, only Radhika’s uncle, Kuldeep Yadav, was present.

According to reports, Kuldeep lodged a complaint over his niece’s death at the Gurugram Sector 56 police station.

The incident reportedly occurred at Radhika and Deepak’s residence and was sparked by the father’s objection to the pro’s work at a tennis academy.

“(Deepak) had been upset for a while as he was being taunted by locals over his daughter’s income,” police officer Vinod Kumar told The Indian Express.

“He was troubled by their remarks – they would keep saying the house is running on her money, and he is too dependent on that. He had asked (Radhika) several times earlier to stop working at the academy, but she refused.

“He could not take it anymore.”

Deepak reportedly has admitted to committing the crime to police, saying that he fired five bullets at his 25-year-old daughter, four of which hit her.

Friends of Radhika have posted tributes on social media, sharing grief over her death.

“Radhika was my best friend. Just two days ago, I stood at her cremation, trying to process the unimaginable — that she was no longer here,” Himaanshika Singh Rajput wrote in a video posted earlier this week.

“Radhika didn’t deserve this. She didn’t deserve to die like this. She was bright, kind, full of dreams and life. And now, she’s gone. This should never have happened. And it cannot be forgotten.”

According to the ITF website, Radhika played 36 singles matches and seven doubles matches during her pro career.

Her final singles match came in March 2024, a qualifying-round loss at a tournament in Indore, India.