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Ria Bhakta Season 2025-26

Height5-8
ClassJunior
HometownDelray Beach, Fla.
High SchoolCalifornia Connections Academy

ITA Results Page

Career Accolades

Signed in June 2024 as part of Saia’s first recruitment class

First Tiger to qualify for NCAA Individual Indoor Championships since 2018

At Michigan State

Big Ten Player of the Week (4/10), the first Spartan to receive the award since 2019

2025-26 (Junior)

Spring

  • Saw action in 22 singles matches, playing at the six and five position
  • Ended the season with 6 singles wins

Fall

  • Became the first Tiger since 2018 to qualify for the NCAA Individual Indoor Championships in Orlando after defeating Duke's Eleana Yu 6-3, 6-0 in the playoff match
  • Posted a 9-3 singles record after starting 5-0
  • Saw action in one doubles match

2024-25 (Sophomore)

Spring

  • Did not see action due to injury

Fall

  • Recorded a 6-3 singles record through nine matches
  • Saw action in three doubles matches with Annabelle Davis and Artemis Aslanisvili as partners

2023-24 (Freshman-Michigan State)

  • Finished the season as the ITA’s No. 95-ranked singles competitor
  • Led the team with 30 total wins
  • Had an impressive 17-5 record in singles play through the year, including a 10-3 mark in dual match play
  • Played on courts No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5, went 3-1 on courts No. 3/5 and 4-1 on court No. 4
  • Went 2-2 in conference play
  • Defeated No. 19-ranked Julia Fliegner in the dual against Michigan in three sets (4-6, 6-4, 1-0 [11-9])
  • Defeated Rutgers Amira Badawi, 6-4, 6-1 in her B1G Championships debut
  • Went 10-7 overall in doubles play including a 7-5 mark in dual matches.
  • Partnered with fellow Spartan Issey Purser six times with a 4-2 record.

Personal

  • Daughter of Rajesh and Geetha Bhakta
  • Has one brother, Rishi
  • Her father competed in track & field, cricket, and field hockey at St. Aloysius College and University of Mysore, India
  • Ranked No. 1 in USTA National Rankings, won the USTA Winter National Championships Singles Gold Ball in 2019
  • Won six Jr ITF singles titles and nine doubles
BhaktaRia

Sophomore
2024