Tennis player, 25, is shot dead by her father after he was mocked for living off her earnings

A former national-level tennis player was allegedly shot dead by her own father at their luxury home in India after he was humiliated by villagers for ‘living off her success’.

Radhika Yadav, 25, was gunned down as she cooked breakfast in the kitchen of their Gurugram duplex, just outside Delhi, on Wednesday morning.

Her father, Deepak Yadav, 49, fired five bullets from his licensed revolver, three of which tore through her back, according to police. 

The incident, which took place just after 10:30am has left many in the country stunned.  

The young athlete was rushed to the hospital by her uncle and cousin, but doctors declared her dead on arrival.

Police say Mr Yadav later confessed to the killing, claiming he was depressed, under pressure and ashamed after neighbours in their village taunted him for relying on Radhika’s earnings and lifestyle. 

The situation had spiralled in recent weeks as he begged her to shut down the tennis academy she had launched, but she refused to back down.

According to investigators, the pair had a heated argument shortly before the fatal shooting at their home in Sushant Lok Sector 57, one of Gurugram’s wealthiest neighbourhoods.

Radhika Yadav, 25, was gunned down on Wednesday as she cooked breakfast in the kitchen of their Gurugram duplex, just outside Delhi

Radhika was a rising star who had amassed success and fame in her home country 

Radhika’s uncle, Kuldeep, who lives on the ground floor of the same building, said he was jolted by a loud bang and ran upstairs to find her lying on the floor in a pool of blood. 

He spotted the revolver abandoned in the drawing room.

He told officers: ‘We carried her down and rushed her to Asia Maringo Hospital in our car. But she was already gone.’

Sources say Radhika was shot while cooking, with three of the five bullets hitting her in the back.

At the time of the killing, only Radhika, her father and her mother, Manju, were home. Her younger brother was away. 

Kuldeep has since filed the official complaint that led to Mr Yadav’s arrest. 

He is reported as saying: ‘I saw my niece Radhika Yadav lying in the kitchen and the revolver (used in the crime) was found in the drawing room.’

Radhika’s mother was present at the house but has not yet given a detailed statement. 

Officers said she told them she was unwell and remained in her room when the shooting occurred.

Her father is said to have been furious at being mocked for living off his daughter’s earnings 

Police have seized the murder weapon, live cartridges and forensic evidence from the scene. 

They have charged Mr Yadav under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including murder and possession of a firearm.

Radhika had represented the state of Haryana at national-level tournaments and had opened a tennis academy in the city. 

She was considered a rising star and had featured in a recent promotional video that drew praise online.

But her father reportedly became resentful of her growing fame and independence.

He told police he was fed up with being mocked by villagers from Wazirabad, who accused him of riding on his daughter’s success while doing nothing himself.

He said he repeatedly urged her to stop running the academy, but she refused. 

Sources said the humiliation had become unbearable for him, and he snapped.

Radhika refused after her father ordered her to stop running a tennis academy

Friends of the victim say Radhika was a kind and determined woman who had worked tirelessly to make her name in tennis despite facing gender bias from a young age.

While the investigation is ongoing, Mr Yadav remains in police custody and is expected to face trial later this year.