India, Feb. 12 -- Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi's creditable run to the WTA L&T Mumbai Open semi-final began with a call from the organisers for a qualifying wildcard. The Indian teen's pathway to landing at one of the world's premier tennis academies later this month began with an email.

Late last year, the inbox of her mother Revathi had an unusual sender - Rafa Nadal Academy. It mentioned their interest in recruiting Maaya, and inquired whether the Indian could come down to the Spanish island of Mallorca for trials.

"It came out of the blue for us," Revathi said. "But, obviously, someone (from the academy) would have spotted her somewhere."

Behind the densely populated expanse of junior tennis in which hundreds and thousands of budding ...