Longhorn Wins Dropshot Series Event; Earns ATX Open Wild Card Entry

Malaika Rapolu, a 21-year-old standout from Cedar Park, captured the H-E-B Women’s Pro Tennis Open singles title and a wild card bid into the ATX Open

AUSTIN, TX – University of Texas alumna Malaika Rapolu, a 21-year-old standout from Cedar Park, celebrated a career milestone on Sunday by claiming her first professional singles title at the Dropshot Series H-E-B Women’s Pro Tennis Open, a USTA Pro Circuit/ITF World Tour event.

With the victory, Rapolu secured a main draw wild card entry into the ATX Open — Texas’ only Hologic WTA Tour event.

Ranked No. 899 in the world at the start of the week, Rapolu showcased her talent on the familiar courts of the Texas Tennis Center — the same courts where as a Longhorn Senior she earned All-American honors from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA).

During her post-match interview, Malaika Rapolu again expressed gratitude about being able to play more matches at the Texas Tennis Center, where she played college ball for the Longhorns until this past May. The hometown favorite, who grew up in the north Austin suburb of Cedar Park, thanked the fans, many of them her family and friends: “I love you guys!”

Founded by Central Texas businessman Bryan Sheffield, the Dropshot Tournament Series is a collection of professional tennis events hosted annually in Austin. The series includes the H-E-B Women’s Pro Tennis and Greenview Development & Majestic Realty Men’s Pro Tennis Opens, two events on the USTA Pro Circuit, and the ATX Open on the Hologic WTA Tour.

Together, the Dropshot Tournament Series creates opportunities for aspiring professional athletes to compete and champions meaningful causes like charitable giving and women’s empowerment, using tennis as a platform for positive impact.

READ MORE ABOUT MALAIKA’S VICTORY IN THE FINAL