A few days ago, just before Padmapriya Ramesh Kumar had to go to Bengaluru for a national tournament, she sounded tired; and certainly was as she had just arrived home from Hyderabad after finishing third in singles and runner‑up in doubles in an Asian event.However, for the 13‑year‑old, fatigue was not an excuse and certainly not at the cost of losing her ranking points she had earned.“The one I played in Hyderabad was an Asian tennis ranking event. The one in Bangalore is a national ranking tournament. As I’m playing both, I have to maintain both the rankings. If I don’t play the Bangalore tournament, I might lose my ranking at the national level. Even though I’m tired, I have to play,” Padmapriya tells DH.One thing that has never changed since the time Padmapriya picked up a racket is her attitude. She has never been one for compromise, and that has turned out to be her biggest strength. And the results are there to be seen.Besides the third‑place finish in singles and runner‑up in doubles at the Asian Grade A Tennis under‑14 tournament in Hyderabad, she won both singles and doubles at the Asian U‑14 and junior ranking tournaments in Tripura and Bahrain. She was also picked for India at the ATF U‑12 Team Competition.“When I was in first standard, my parents wanted me to join some extracurricular activities. I started with badminton at a sports complex in Ballari. However, I did not like it because there were no coaches. I then picked tennis and I liked it.”The tennis talent really struck during her first competition and by the end of it, her parents had decided to go all in.“I had my first competitive event in Bangalore. I didn’t expect to perform so well. But then, I went till the final, defeating all of the good players. In the final, I beat a girl who had a national ranking.”When asked about her training routine, “I wake up at five and attend fitness sessions before school. After classes (half day during big tournaments), I go for two hours of individual coaching with Raghaveer sir and then attend a hitting session with Gokul sir where I practise what I have learnt.”“My aim is to get a better ranking in the International Tennis Federation. The dream is to win a Grand Slam… I like Aryna Sabalenka for her aggressive mindset and focus, and then Novak Djokovic because he never gives up.”Bigger challenges await her as she rises up the ranks. There will be more competitions, a lot less rest days compared to the age group category. However, the journey so far has shown she has the appetite to fight.
