A Madison native just became one of the best yo-yoers in the country — and he’s only 16 years old.

Thomas Rajan won the 2026 U.S. National Yo-Yo Contest last month in Las Vegas, earning the title of U.S. National Yo-Yo Champion. 

The win comes with a bigger prize than the title itself: Rajan now earns a seeded spot representing the United States at the World Contest in Japan.

Rajan said the win feels “unreal.”

“It’s been my goal for years to win this contest, and so finally doing it is kind of like crazy. It feels almost unreal but I know it is,” Rajan tells WAAY 31.

Rajan picked up yo-yoing during the pandemic at just 10 years old. He jokingly threw in a comment about how his mom doesn’t like video games, leading him to perfect his craft over time.

Competitors qualify for U.S. Nationals by placing in the top five at one of the National Yo-Yo League’s nine sanctioned regional contests before advancing to the national finals.

Rajan’s win adds Madison to a growing list of hometowns with a stake in the competitive yo-yo scene, a niche but fiercely competitive sport with a national governing body, regional qualifiers and, now, a North Alabama teenager heading overseas to represent the country on the world stage.

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