None other than Sania Mirza comes to the mind when Indian women's tennis is being talked about. However, for once, a prodigious talent has been staking a claim to make her name heard in the circuit. The six-foot tall Karman Kaur Thandi, had been a regular presence in the junior Grand Slam events before making a leap into the seniors segment this year. With booming serves and strong forehand, the 18-year-old can be as strokeful in singles as in doubles, having won the 23rd International Junior Tournament in 2015. The promising young star opens up about her age-defying tennis journey and much more to Prince Kumar Singh
How does it feel to be labelled as India's next big star of women's tennis after Sania MirzaIJ
It feels nice. I have been working really hard in the training sessions and I can sense that I am hitting the ball better than ever before. It's good to know that people are taking note of my performances.
How do you rate your outings this season as 2016 nears to a closeIJ
I reckon the season has been decent for me. Being able to play at the junior Grand Slams events and perform amid buzzing courts is extremely satisfying. More importantly, I beat higher-ranked players at the US Open which is a big boost. Plus, at the Wimbledon, I reached the pre-quarters in doubles. So all good as of now but definitely want to improve further.
Your women's ranking currently is 692. What sort of raking range are you trying to break into going forward from hereIJ What are your long-term goalsIJ
I am targeting to enter under-400. That's my immediate goal and my long-term plan is definitely to win a Grand Slam event some day
You are lucky enough to have had a training stint at Patrick Mouratoglou's Academy, a place where Serena Williams trains. How big an exposure that can be for a young talentIJ
It's a big thing for me to train at Patrick's academy considering its still early days in my tennis career. I still train there. He is a great guy and has taught me a lot. He backs me a lot, is very inspirational and his training base is world-class. The kind of training facilities you get there in Nice (France) is gold standard.
Do you feel India has enough world-class infrastructure or professional academies of tennis as most of the game's talents, including Ramkumar Ramanathan, Saket Myneni and yourself, have been training abroadIJ
It's getting better here. But to be honest, the facilities in our country are yet to match the best ones in the world. The type of training equipments we get abroad is something really effective and I hope the same can be found here too at the earliest.
You get financial assistance from International Premier Tennis league (IPTl) so that your participation on the Tour is taken care of. What do you have to say on the support you enjoy from Mahesh Bhupati-led leagueIJ
Mahesh sir has been exceptionally supportive over the years and I am really thankful for his generosity. Yeah, it feels great to have someone like Mahesh sir behind me who make sure that I pay heed only to my game and nothing else.
lastly, how does it feel t be the brand ambassador of ASICS India, especially as the sports performance brand has big names from tennis like Gael Monfils and David Goffin under its beltIJ
My sponsors are a great bunch of guys. They make sure I am dressed perfectly when I am on the court, fighting for those crucial points. And to be under the same bracket as someone as popular as Gael (Monfils) and David (Goffin), highest-ranked Belgian player inspires me even more to do better.