You had an injury couple of weeks back. How is it right nowIJ
I injured my right ankle while playing at the ITF Futures tournament in Chandigarh. It is healing well and is in much better condition right now. It is almost healed and in next few days, hopefully it should be completely alright.
Two months back, you and 11 others players had revolted against the All India Tennis Association and demanded certain things. What is the update on itIJ
First of all, we are happy about that we 11 players stood together and all our demands were raised in unison. Then we had demanded the things which were rightly required and those were not all illogical. And they (AITA) agreed to it later on and that's why we played against Indonesia. I can say that we had some amount of success. It was all for the right reasons and to improve Indian tennis. A healthy environment and basic necessities are needed for the upcoming players to flourish. Young players need good support. I do believe that if this right kind of environment continues, we will have more success in next five years.
We all know that your family is a tennis family. So, was it easier for you to improve your skills when you started playing the gameIJ
Yeah, it was. I came to tennis because of my sisters (Ankita and Sanaa). Their success inspired me. When I was a kid, they used to come home with trophies, creating happy moments and triggering celebrations at home. I used to go on various tours with my family. So, those were big motivating factors for me. And I do feel that when I grew up and played tennis, my family managed to handle various things in a better way as they had the experience of dealing with Ankita and Sanaa. Things like which tournament to play, when to exercise and the daily routine were crucial. I got good help from my sisters and I got more time to spend with my coach (Aditya Sachdeva) unlike my sisters. So, it was easier in that sense.
What is the happiest moment of your career so farIJ
As an individual player it is the Junior Australian Open win in 2009 but helping the Indian team win the Davis Cup tie against South Africa in South Africa was also an extremely pleasing moment for me.
Now that you are no more a junior, how are you looking forward to the process of growing into a bigger player at the world level and competing with the toughest competitorsIJ
I feel I am starting afresh. I am taking baby steps. Practicing regularly and training hard. It is not that success comes easily and comes every day. I enjoy struggle. I enjoy setbacks. I stay grounded. The little extra effort that you put in everyday helps in the longer run. The extra hours that you put in during training, takes you a long way. So, I am putting in the effort to make myself able to compete with the big names.
Technically, which areas do you feel you need to work uponIJ
I believe skill-wise I am there. But, I need to work on my fitness a bit more. When I started playing, tennis was not that much a physical sport, the way it has become today. Technicalities used to be a thing of premier importance. Then, a tennis match used to get over in two-and-a-half hours. But, nowadays, a match takes almost four hours to end. So, tennis has become extremely physically demanding. In some of the losses I have suffered, I realized that enduring till the last is important. Apart from that, tennis has changed technically as well. The surfaces have become slower while the ball has become larger. So, these days one has to make a lot of adjustments.
What are the other challenges that tennis players in India faceIJ
Financially, it is tough. I am lucky that I have as sponsors to support me.
You have been the former junior world number one and had played with someone like Bernard Tomic. Tomic has improved a lot and is one of the top 50 players now. Why do you think Indian players take more time than these guys to peakIJ
I believe it is the competition level and professional way of nurturing that makes the difference. Also, the federation plays a bigger role in development of a player abroad. The right kind of guidance is required while you graduate from the juniors to the senior level.