👧 Raessa Ashwad | Tennis Papers interview, September 2025

“My dream is to represent Malaysia and play in the Grand Slam junior tournaments.”

Meet Raessa Ashwad, Malaysian girl, talent junior tennis player who lives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and competing in U9-10 tennis categories.
Raessa is ranked #2 in Malaysia in her category.
(Information gathered via an exclusive interview by Tennis Papers).

📘 Raessa Ashwad | Biography, September 2025

🏠 Residence | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

🌍 Kuala Lumpur is the capital and largest city of Malaysia.
🏙️ Famous for its modern skyline, especially the iconic Petronas Twin Towers.
🕌 The city blends Malay, Chinese, and Indian cultures, with temples, mosques, and markets.
🌳 Kuala Lumpur also has parks and green spaces where families can relax and enjoy nature.

🎙️Raessa Ashwad | Interview, September 2025

Hello, introduce yourself please.
My name is Raessa Ashwad, I am 9 years old.
I am Malaysian and my city of residence is KualaLumpur in Malaysia.

At what age did you start playing tennis?
I started playing with tennis balls when I was 2 years old, just crawling around with them. But my real tennis lessons only started when I was 5.

Are there other tennis players in your family?
Yes! My dad plays tennis just for fun, and my mom used to play for her school, university and also in clubs.

In which club do you train tennis?
I train with the Kuala Lumpur Tennis Association, Tennis KL. I join their training development programme.

Who is your tennis coach?
My coaches are very busy. That’s why I have few coaches. They are all TennisKL coaches. My head coach is Coach Azizul (@azizulboom), my technical coach is Coach Gee (@geehashim05), my tournament coaches are Coach Maria (@mariafauzana), Coach Zhaf (@zhafree) & Coach Ielyas (@zhahin_ielyas).
Please follow them on their instagram, they asked me to mention their instagram.. LOL!

How many hours a week do you train tennis and do physical training?
I train four times a week.

• Weekdays: 1-2 hours after school on Tuesday and Thursday, But if I have tournaments coming up, I will train on Wednesday or Friday too.
• Weekends: 4 hours on Saturday and Sunday.

What is your junior tennis category and your national tennis ranking?
My main category is Girls U9 for my state – Kuala Lumpur, my region which is Central Region and National. But I do sometimes play for Girls U10 for some tournaments in other states. I alternate and switch U9 and U10 categories for exposures.

• National : #2 as of 31/8/2025 for Girls Singles U9
• Regional : #1 as of 31/7/2025 for Girls Singles U9 for Central Region
• State : #1 as of 5/9/2025 for Girls Singles U9 in Kuala Lumpur

Ranking in other states:

• #1 in Perak Monthly Medals as of June 2025 for Girls U10
• #8 in KL Monthly Medals as of July 2025 for Girls U10
• #2 in Selangor Monthly Medals as of September 2025 for Girls U10
• #2 in Selangor Monthly Medals as of July 2025 for Girls U9
• #9 in Melaka Monthly Medals as of May 2025 for Girls U10
• #5 in Melaka Monthly Medals as of May 2025 for Girls U9

What are your best tennis results?

• 2024 National Champion for Girls Singles U8
• 2025 National Finalists for Girls U9
• 2025 KL All Star Masters – Champion for Girls U9
• 2025 MILO Junior Open Championship – Finalists for Girls U10
• 2025 District Sports Council Championship – Champion for Girls U9
• 2025 District Sports Council Championship – Semifinalists for Girls Doubles U12
• 2025 State Sports Council Championship – Finalists for Girls U9

In which countries have you already participated in tennis tournaments?
I’ve only played in Malaysia so far. But I really hope one day I can play in other countries too, like Thailand, the Philippines, Spain, France, Italy and many more.

Do you have any sponsors?
Yes! I get support from Babolat Malaysia under M4 Sports Sdn Bhd, and also Asics Malaysia. They give me tennis gear to help my journey.

What tennis racket do you play with?
Babolat! Same brand as Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal. #TeamBabolat

What is your tennis dream?
My dream is to represent Malaysia and play in the Grand Slam junior tournaments. When I grow up, I want to be one of the world’s top 4 players. I also wish to have my own tennis brand one day.

Who are your favourite tennis players?
My favourites are Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Świątek. I love the way they play and how strong they are.

What do you like to do outside of tennis?
I like to travel, listen to music, play Roblox & Grow A Garden with my classmates and tennis friends, and check out new trends on social media.

Thanks a lot Raessa!
Tennis Papers wishes you the best in your tennis life 💜🩷

🎾 Raessa Ashwad | Tennis playing, September 2025

💪 Raessa Ashwad | Physical training, September 2025