Indian teenager Arnav Paparkar causes a flutter in the tennis world
Indian teenager Arnav Paparkar has reached the Wimbledon boys' quarterfinals, becoming the first Indian to achieve this milestone since 1990. His success is attributed to rigorous training in Spain and a disciplined approach to his natural game.
Why it matters
This represents a significant breakthrough for Indian tennis on the international stage, highlighting the emergence of new talent in a historically difficult sport for the region.
Three dozen years is a long time in any sphere of life, not just sport. Yet, on a scorching Wednesday morning last week, on the most famous lawns in the world, it took just 52 minutes for Arnav Paparkar to script a chapter in Indian tennis history.
With a clinical 6-2, 6-1 demolition of Japan’s Ryo Tabata in the boys’ round of 16, the 18-year-old stormed into the Wimbledon quarterfinals and became the first Indian since the legendary Leander Paes in 1990 to achieve the feat. For Indian tennis, the long wait was finally over.
In a virtual interaction with The Hindu , Arnav revealed that meticulous preparation did the trick. “I trained on grass in Spain for two weeks before Wimbledon and also played a tournament in Roehampton. I was comfortable with the way I moved, served and returned... I didn’t miss too many returns,” Arnav said.
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