Mahak Jain

[PKBasu]

I get depressed visiting this page. Mahak was ranked 29th among the world's juniors when she was 15 (four years ago), and she was ranked 511 by the WTA when she was 17 years old. In effect, she was among the most talented tennis players in the world in her age group when she was 15. Compared to that start, she is an also-ran in the Georgia Tech tennis team -- albeit one contributing to clutch victories in the last two rounds (QF and SF of the ACC), respectively playing 6th and 5th singles for Georgia Tech in those two rounds.
Georgia Tech's top player, Kenya Jones, is a 23-year-old ranked 6 among all US women college players. When she was 18, she reached a career-high junior ranking of 1857!! Mahak, and those who were handling her tennis career, have totally wasted her talent and potential.

[PKBasu]

This is an article on Mahak with comments from her coach-

Lodi confident about Mahak’s path ahead

The same issue which we talked about here-

With coach Sajid Lodi deciding, in consultation with the family, that there was no point in Mahak competing in the international junior circuit, it was important to get better exposure in the ITF women’s tournaments.
“We are 100% sure that playing the professional women’s circuit is the way forward for Mahak,” said coach Lodi, emphasising the point that the quicker the girl adapts to the professional circuit, the better for her.

Every coach in India seems to be sold to this idea now that there is no point in playing junior ITF circuit.

That coach, Sajid Lodi, has a lot to answer for. This was a post from 2 years ago. "No point playing junior ITF circuit"? What about junior Slams?? And if not that, why the hell wasn't she playing on the pro tour?

[PKBasu]

Georgia Tech's #2 player, 22 year old Victoria Flores, had a career high junior ranking of 44 and a WTA ranking of 808 -- both from late-2017, when she was 18 years old. That makes me feel a bit better. But Mahak (despite being younger) should have started playing #1 or #2 singles for Georgia Tech if she was playing at the level of her pro ranking from two years ago. She is clearly playing at a considerably lower level this year.

[jayakris]

She may also be facing the problem that small-built but-talented players face in colleges. They need to work hard to prove themselves. The ones with the bigger serves and bigger build get consideration first for higher spots. But those like Harsh Mankad managed to prove themselves fairly soon. I am just guessing, in Mahak's case.