The tennis player is now India No.1 in boys under-16
From a reluctant tennis player to a consistent performer, Bollipalli Rithvik Choudary has come a long way. This young talent is now the India No. 1 in the boys under-16 (he is also India No. 8 in the under-18 category).
Clearly, the Sania Mirza impact seems to be on in terms of spurring the young talent to dream big and notch up significant achievements too as Rithvik’s feat comes close on the heels of another Hyderabadi, Y. Sai Dedeepya, becoming India No. 1 in the under-16 category recently.
For someone who started off training under one of the most dedicated and unobtrusive coaches from the city, C.V. Nagraj, at The School of PowerTennis established in 1991 at RRC Ground (Secunderabad) when he was just seven, this 16-year-old Rithvik has been a consistent player which also saw him represent the country in the Asia-Oceania Junior Davis Cup in Delhi early this year. And his record in that major event – three wins and two losses in doubles and one win and a loss in singles – speaks of his immense promise.
“It’s a great feeling to be No.1 in my age group. Well, it gives some kind of an advantage as it means some pressure on the opponent too,” says Rithvik, an Intermediate student at Bhavan’s Sainikpuri.
Interestingly, Rithvik combines excellence both in academics and sports and this is what makes his parents - Pratap and Lakshmi - proud and lend him unstinted support to pursue his career.
“We will go all out even as we search for sponsorships which are never easy to get. Given Rithvik’s interest in the sport and performances, we are sure things will be much better in the next couple of years when he starts doing well in the under-18 category also,” explains the young player’s mother.
On the other hand, coach Nagraj, who produced four Davis Cuppers and five national champions so far, insists that Rithvik has a big serve and impressive backhand and forehands too. “Unlike many, Rithvik is an all-court player. All he needs is to work on his fitness and then he will be another player to watch,” signs off the untiring coach.
