In 1996, she moved to Luxembourg and she turned professional at the age of 18. She player her first WTA-level tournament in late October, 1996, at the SEAT Open. She won two matches in the qualifying stages, before losing to Jana Kandarr. On November 17, 1996, Sanjeev won her first ITF Women's Circuit title, defeating Raluca Sandu in the finals of the $25,000 tournament in Bad Gögging, Germany. Sanjeev played her first Grand Slam tournament at the 1997 Australian Open, where she lost in the second qualifying round to Yuka Yoshida, having overcome Petra Mandula in the previous round.