Bopanna advises me to believe in myself, says Khushi

It was a delightful week for Khushi Kadian at the Fenesta Open National tennis championship in New Delhi.

The Rohtak girl, all of 13, beat all comers to win the under-16 singles title to go with the doubles crown and the u-14 singles prize.

Khushi, who trains at the Rohan Bopanna Academy in Bengaluru, dreams of competing in Grand Slams with the Australian Open being her favourite.

She is taking baby steps towards it. The u-16 trophy is close to her heart as she beat older and powerful opponents, with the win against Ranjhana Sangram in the title decider being a “special” one.

“The final was tougher because she was older than me and had immense power,” Khushi said, adding that competing in a higher age category and winning gave her a lot of confidence.

A huge fan of the World No. 1 Elena Rybakina, the Haryana lass likes to play aggressively and doesn’t hesitate to push forward and attack the net.

Khushi, who was initially coached by her father, said working with Bopanna, a former World No. 1 doubles player, had helped improve her game. “He gives me tactical inputs and advises me to believe in myself and take it point by point.”

Having conquered the Nationals with a stellar show, she is gearing up to play in ITF events. Love for serve-and-volley tennis is rare in an era where players are at home blasting away from the baseline and Khushi hopes to find joy at the higher level with her attacking instincts.