“An Olympic Medal. That’s been my goal since forever. To stand on the podium and hear the Indian National Anthem play and to watch the Indian medal tally increase, knowing I contributed to it!
I’d accompany my older brother every day to his tennis practice when I was around 7 years old. I’d patiently sit and watch him play. That’s what first attracted me to play the sport. However, it was just a hobby. It was only when I was around 14 years old that I realized I could go to great extents if I took up the sport seriously and worked hard. Then, under Coach CV Nagraj, the real grind began. From practice and workouts to food and sleep, everything I did was monitored. But just a year into this routine, my worst fears nearly came to life. I had an ACL tear – a terrible knee injury. I was carried out of court and most doctors said I’d never be able to play tennis again. It took me over 10 months of rest, followed by rehab and rigorous training, to resume playing the sport. This was closely followed by a back injury that barred me from tennis again, for 4 months this time. Staying away from the sport, in pain, while watching my peers constantly get better wasn’t an easy experience. But the injury put everything into perspective for me. I realized how much I loved and missed the game, only motivating me to do better from the minute I got back. With consistent hard work, things started going uphill and getting better. Regular tournaments, travel and pressure has molded me in a way nothing else could have. From playing international tournaments to winnings medals at the recent South Asian Games, every opportunity to represent the country and hear the National Anthem while standing on the podium seems like a step closer to my Olympic Dream!”

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