Aryan Shah remains to be getting used to life on the senior circuit.
Aryan achieved a career-high rating of 39 as a junior. He additionally represented the nation in any respect 4 Junior Grand Slams.
Final season was his first full yr on the senior circuit. He performed 18 ITF occasions, clinching his maiden professional title on the USD 15,000 event in Kingston whereas additionally reaching a runner-up end on the identical venue. The 19-year-old entered 2025 as World No. 590 within the ATP Rankings.
Aryan was in motion on the BR Adityan ITF 25k occasion on the SDAT Stadium this week the place he reached the second spherical in singles and completed runner-up in doubles with compatriot Ishaque Eqbal, shedding to Chirag Duhan and Dev Javia in an all-Indian ultimate.
On the sidelines of the occasion, Shah mirrored on the transition from junior to senior degree. “I feel the foremost distinction between the professionals and the juniors is the physicality and mentality. The mentality performs a giant position as a result of you already know you aren’t going to get something without cost on the boys’s circuit.”
“So, it’s important to be there mentally and focus on a regular basis. That’s a little bit of a change,” he stated.
Over the past two years, he has needed to regulate to intensive journey. He participated in Junior Grand Slam tournaments in 2023 whereas in 2024, he featured in tournaments in international locations like Jamaica, Sweden and South Africa. Usually accompanied by his dad and mom on these journeys, he mirrored on how grateful he was to have the help. “It’s comforting to have somebody with you as a result of tennis is a troublesome particular person sport. It will get powerful on the highway. I’m glad to have one in every of my household (members) with me,” stated {the teenager}.
Shah enjoys enjoying doubles, his partnership with Eqbal in Chennai being the most recent proof. “Doubles is far more simpler to play. Rather more unfastened. Rather more free by means of the thoughts. Extra clear,” he stated whereas including, “Doubles is normally extra enjoyable. Extra tactical. You don’t have loads of margin.”
“In tense moments in doubles, the stress is split into two folks. That’s extra useful.”
Nevertheless, he made it clear that singles is his main focus.
One other milestone in 2024 for Shah was being referred to as up for India’s tie towards Sweden within the Davis Cup. “Fairly good feeling if you put on that blue blazer,” he stated.
“It’s fairly feeling. My dad and mom and coaches know I’ve labored arduous for it. It’s not given to me on a plate. So, positively, a serious milestone. However I’m not saying that’s the tip or that’s the one achievement I hoped for.”
Shah is hopeful that 2025 could be a breakthrough yr for him. He didn’t obtain wildcards for any of the 4 ATP Challenger Tour occasions which happened in India in 2024. He’s eyeing the identical 4 Challenger occasions in February this yr to push his rating up however would require wildcards to get entry.
His willpower to make issues occur is obvious. “I do know the challenges. I’ve nothing to lose. There are such a lot of nice gamers with nice rankings above me. I simply need to go on the market and carry out,” he stated.