Tennis Coach Shot Dead by Father Allegedly Upset Over Her Earning More

In a disturbing incident, 25-year-old Radhika Yadav, a former junior international tennis player and now a local coach, was allegedly shot dead by her father inside their home in Gurgaon’s Sector 57 on Thursday morning.

The incident occurred around 10.30 AM while Radhika was in the kitchen on the first floor of their house. According to the police, her father, Deepak Yadav (49), entered the kitchen and shot her three times with his licensed revolver. One bullet hit her in the neck, while two others struck her in the back.

The sound of gunshots brought Radhika’s younger brother Kuldeep, who lives with his family on the ground floor, rushing upstairs. He found Radhika lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Neighbours, alarmed by the noise, rushed to the house and helped Kuldeep take her to a private hospital. However, by the time they arrived, she had already passed away.

Police were alerted, and Deepak Yadav was arrested soon after. He has been booked for murder, and the revolver used in the shooting has been recovered. Radhika’s mother was not present in the house at the time of the incident.

According to the police, preliminary investigation points to a family dispute as the reason behind the shooting. Deepak was reportedly unhappy with Radhika’s decision to continue running a tennis academy in the neighbourhood.

“The accused admitted to the crime during questioning. He had asked Radhika to shut down the academy multiple times, but she did not agree. This led to ongoing tension between them,” said Sandeep Kumar, a police spokesperson.

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There were also unconfirmed reports circulating on social media that Deepak was upset over Instagram reels that Radhika was allegedly posting, but police officials and family friends have denied any knowledge of such claims.

A person close to the investigation said Deepak may have been dealing with personal insecurities. He had allegedly complained in the past about being mocked for living off his daughter’s income, though there were no visible signs of financial difficulty in the family. Deepak had earlier run a car accessories shop in old Gurgaon, which he shut down, and currently lives off rental income. His son Kuldeep is involved in real estate.

Those who knew the family say Deepak had once been fully involved in Radhika’s tennis career. He used to accompany her to practice sessions and tournaments across India. Many are now struggling to understand what led to such a devastating turn of events.

“We are in complete shock,” said a neighbour who has known the family for years. “Radhika was respectful, kind, and very focused on her career. She had started her own academy and was coaching many aspiring players. Deepak, in fact, worked hard to build her career, took her for practice, and accompanied her to tournaments. It's shocking what he has done."

Mona Sharma, a local resident whose daughter was trained by Radhika, echoed similar feelings. "He used to accompany her daily for practice and took her to tournaments. Radhika was very bright. My son, who also plays tennis and was her junior, informed me about the incident and we have been in shock since. Her father was her biggest supporter. It's hard to believe that he has killed her. I don't have the courage to call her mother as we are family friends."

Radhika had once been ranked 1999 in the International Tennis Federation’s junior rankings. As recently as February and March this year, she had participated in ITF-level tournaments in Indore and Kuala Lumpur. Though she didn’t progress beyond the first or second rounds, she remained actively involved in the sport.

Following an injury that forced her to step away from competitive tennis, Radhika began coaching full-time, training both boys and girls at her academy. She quickly built a reputation as a disciplined and effective coach.

Vinod Kumar, the SHO of Sector 56 Police Station, confirmed that she had stopped playing professionally due to injury but had continued to contribute to the sport as a coach.

Suman Kapur, CEO of the Haryana Tennis Association, remembered meeting Radhika during the 2023 National Games in Goa. “She was disciplined, respectful, and serious about her sport. Though she didn’t win a medal, she performed with great focus and determination,” Kapur said.

Another young tennis player from Haryana who had seen her play in the Goa games described her as “good and committed,” though they had not interacted personally.

Radhika’s body has been sent for post-mortem, and the investigation is ongoing. Meanwhile, the family, neighbours, students, and friends are left devastated by the sudden and senseless loss of a young woman whose life and career had only just begun to flourish.

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