Lallana "Ruangkao" Tharardeedi shocked the tennis world by defeating a former US Open champion to claim the WTA 125 title in the United States.
Lallana "Ruangkao" Tharardeedi brought fame to Thailand by winning the women's singles title at the WTA 125 professional women's tennis tournament "Austin 125," which offered a total prize purse of $115,000 (approximately 3,653,550 baht) in Austin, Texas, USA, on the morning of 15 Mar 2026 GMT+7.
Before discussing her success at Austin 125, it is important to know Lallana Tharardeedi, a 21-year-old professional Thai female tennis player nicknamed "Ruangkao." She is currently ranked 124th in the WTA world rankings, making her one of Asia's top female tennis players today.
An Unforeseen Journey
No one expected she would reach the final because Ruangkao came through the qualifying rounds, meaning she had to fight from the very start before entering the main draw. In each match, she faced top 100 world-ranked players.
She herself said, "I never thought I'd reach the final because each round was really tough," but she fought on, match by match, set by set, until she won the championship.
On the morning of the final in Austin, Texas, USA, Ruangkao spoke with her personal coach Punnakrit Kridakorn. Their conversation did not involve complex strategies; the coach simply said, "Play for fun and compete to improve your skills only."
The Decisive Moment — "Ruangkao" vs. Former US Open Champion
Her opponent in the final was no ordinary player: Bianca Andreescu from Canada, a former world No. 4 and the 2019 US Open champion who had defeated Serena Williams in the final.
But today in Austin, the champion was Thai player Ruangkao, ranked 124th in the world and a qualifier, who defeated Bianca Andreescu with scores of 6-3, 3-6, and 6-3.
This marked Ruangkao's first WTA title. The Thai player earned a prize of $15,500, approximately 492,435 baht, along with 131 world ranking points (including those from the qualifying rounds).
Meanwhile, Bianca Andreescu, former world No. 4 and 2019 US Open champion, received $8,400 (about 266,868 baht) and 81 world ranking points.
After the match, Ruangkao's mother Intira received a phone call from her daughter saying she was "very proud" of her achievement. It was the first time in her career that she had won a WTA trophy.
Her mother shared that what drove her daughter to fight to the end was many things: her mother's blessings, the warm welcome from international tennis fans, and the cheers from Thai supporters in the stadium, making her feel she was not fighting alone.
On social media, hashtags #Lallana and #Ruangkao trended overnight. She sent a message to her fans: "Thank you to Thai tennis fans for supporting me in every way. I am very proud to have Thai people cheering for me, and thank you to the international tennis fans as well."
Summary of Today's Performance
Tournament: Austin 125 (WTA 125)
Location: Austin, Texas, USA
Final: Lallana Tharardeedi defeated Bianca Andreescu 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
Prize Money: 15,500 USD (approximately 492,435 baht)
Ranking Points: +131 points