At 54, Rija Rajaobelina continues to make his racket speak. As captain of the Madagascar Davis Cup team, he has embarked on a new adventure on the international ITF Masters circuit. What started as an almost improvised sporting transition has, in just a few months, become a true performance project. His goal is now clear: to break into the world top 10 in the M50 category and prepare for the upcoming world championships.
It all began in August in Lisbon, Portugal. Returning from Brazzaville, where he led Madagascar to promotion to Group IV of the Davis Cup, the player took advantage of the cancellation of a tournament planned with his students to register for the Masters World Championships in the M45 category. His performance was particularly encouraging; he cleared three rounds, notably securing victories against an American and the Swiss number 2, before falling to a Ukrainian player ranked 14th in the world. His performance earned him encouragement from several opponents, who urged him to aim for the top world rankings in his age group.
At the end of September in Mallorca, Rija Rajaobelina confirmed his potential during an M50 Masters 1000 event. After two favorable opening rounds, he delivered a standout performance by dominating a Japanese player ranked 28th in the world with a decisive 6/0, 6/0 score. His run ended in the next round against Denmark’s Kasper Warming, ranked eighth in the world and a former top 800 ATP player. However, this experience only strengthened his ambitions.
The objective is gradually taking shape: the 2027 M50 World Championships, which will be held in Portugal. To hope to join the circle of seeded players, Rija Rajaobelina must accumulate points and improve his standing in the ITF Masters rankings. The first reward came in Budapest during an MT700 tournament held the week of October 19. Rija won the title after a three-set final against a French national team member, winning 6/4, 2/6, 6/3.
Despite a hamstring injury, he continued his campaign in Gandia, Spain. After his first opponent withdrew, he achieved another feat in the second round by defeating Spaniard Manuel Ángel Sala Martín de Ruedas, the reigning M50 national champion and 52nd in the world, with a score of 6/3, 6/1.
Already propelled to 127th place in the world M50 rankings before the Spanish tournament, the captain continues his ascent and is aiming for the world top 10. “My goal is to prepare for the World Championships by finding the right balance between tournaments and recovery, so that I can reach my peak level. This experience is also enriching for my role as a coach and Davis Cup captain, as it allows me to stay in touch with the realities of the game and the demands of high performance,” he confided.
Through this adventure, Rija demonstrates that at 54, experience and the desire for competition can still open up new horizons.
Captured & Published at: 2026-10-31 06:38:45 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/10/tennis-itf-masters-tour-rija.html