'He'd Made Her Life Miserable for Years': 25-Year-Old Tennis Player Shot Dead by Her Dad — His Alleged Motive Revealed

A young athlete's promising future was violently cut short in what police describe as a deeply personal act of jealousy and control.

Radhika Yadav, a 25-year-old tennis player and private coach, was shot and killed by her father, 54-year-old Deepak Yadav, at their home in Gurgaon, India, on the morning of July 10, 2025. Authorities say resentment and humiliation fueled the act, as Deepak reportedly could not stand being mocked over his reliance on his daughter's income. A friend would later claim that the killing had been planned.

At approximately 10:30 a.m., five gunshots from Deepak's legally issued revolver rang out in the quiet residential area of Sushant Lok–II, striking Radhika several times and ending her life.

At the time, his wife was in another room, bedridden with a fever. Roughly an hour later, a private hospital contacted the police, reporting that a young woman had died from gunshot wounds. Upon arrival, officers encountered Deepak's younger brother, Kuldeep Yadav, but Radhika's parents were nowhere to be seen.

Officers proceeded to the family's home, where they found Deepak. He confessed to the killing and specifically mentioned that she had been "an international-level tennis player." Police managed to disarm and arrest him that day.

Further insights into Deepak's motive were shared by Station House Officer Inspector Vinod Kumar. "He (Deepak) had been upset for a while as he was being taunted by locals over his daughter's income," he said. "He was troubled by their remarks — they would keep saying the house is running on her money, and he is too dependent on that."

The inspector added that Deepak had repeatedly asked his daughter to quit her coaching job at an academy, but she refused. "He could not take it anymore," Vinod explained. Deepak's own income reportedly came from rent collected on several small properties.

As the news of this tragedy spread, Radhika's best friend, Himaanshika Singh Rajput, shared her grief and outrage on Instagram.

On July 12, she posted several videos detailing the events, with the caption explaining, "My best friend Radhika was murdered by her own father. He shot her five times. Four bullets hit her. He'd made her life miserable for years with his controlling, constant criticism. In the end, he listened to so-called friends who were jealous of her success."

She further explained that Radhika had poured immense effort into building her tennis career, including founding her own academy, and was achieving professional success.

However, those around her resented her independence. According to Himaanshika, Radhika frequently faced criticism for wearing shorts, speaking with male friends, and asserting her autonomy.

In another post shared that same day, Himaanshika recalled attending Radhika's cremation days earlier, describing her struggle to comprehend the sudden and devastating loss of her best friend.

The press presence outside Radhika's home made the situation harder to believe, and that what she learned afterward was even more harrowing. "This wasn't a moment of madness. It was premeditated. Her father had been planning to kill her for days," she claimed.

Though Deepak allegedly struggled with his mental health, Himaanshika maintained that "no amount of struggle can justify what he did."

She also stressed that Radhika "didn’t deserve this. She didn’t deserve to die like this," especially at the hands of her father. Remembering her as intelligent, compassionate, and deeply motivated, Himaanshika urged her followers not to forget about Radhika and what happened to her.

In a third Instagram post, Himaanshika shared a video montage of Radhika, set to the song "The Hanging Tree" from "The Hunger Games" soundtrack — a piece that has been used symbolically in protest across social media.

In the caption, she described Radhika as guarded yet deeply kind, cool, funny, and beautiful, and expressed regret for not saying so sooner. Still in shock, Himaanshika recalled her best friend's warmth, confidence, and sense of humor, and wished she had experienced the world as Radhika did.

Despite the hardships at home, Radhika had built an impressive résumé. Born on March 23, 2000, she took part in tournaments at both the national and international levels.

According to the All India Tennis Association (AITA), she achieved a career-best ranking of 75th in Girls Under-18, 53rd in Women's Doubles, and 35th in Women's Singles.

She was also active on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) circuit, where she held a ranking of 113th. Radhika also held a global singles ranking of 1,999 on the ITF website as of March 2024.

Several of her tennis peers visited the Yadav home on the evening of July 10 to offer condolences to her mother and uncle, who were reportedly sitting quietly on the porch.

One mourner told the Indian Express, "One day you say you love and care for your daughter, and then the next day, you do something like this." Furthermore, a local resident and former student described Radhika as "sweet and vivacious," adding she was "shocked" by the news.

Meanwhile, Pawan Yadav, president of the local Residents' Welfare Association and a close family friend, confirmed that Radhika had been targeted by "small-minded" individuals who resented her success and income. Some even harassed her via a social media reel, prompting her parents to force her to delete her account.

While the post-mortem report has yet to be disclosed, a First Information Report was filed with the Sector 56 police station. Additionally, a video posted by Asian News International showed Deepak being brought into the Gurugram Court on July 12.

Surrounded by photographers, his face was completely covered as he was escorted into the building by police officers. Authorities also confirmed that Radhika had an older brother, Dheeraj Yadav, who works in real estate and lives elsewhere in the city.