Karan Singh on Sunday turned simply the 51st man to win a Davis Cup singles rubber for India, a nation with a Davis Cup historical past spanning over a century since its debut in 1921.
The 21-year-old from Karnal, Haryana, marked his debut within the competitors — usually known as the ‘World Cup of Tennis’ — with a commanding 6-2, 6-3 victory over unranked Togolese opponent Hod’abalo Isak Padio. Enjoying in entrance of round 2,000 spectators on the DLTA Advanced, Karan helped India seal a 4-0 win within the World Group I Playoff. Whereas the Davis Cup ambiance examined the teen’s nerves, the approaching 4 weeks will present a clearer measure of his talent stage as he faces a lot stronger competitors in consecutive ATP Challenger Tour occasions in Chennai, Delhi, Pune, and Bengaluru.
Inspired by his father to take up tennis on the age of 11, Karan’s enjoying model has developed below a number of coaches.
At present coaching below Aditya Sachdeva on the RoundGlass Academy in Chandigarh, the 6’2” Karan has continued to develop his sport with out compromising his pure energy.
“We have now been engaged on him coming to the online extra. He hurts you from the baseline, and we’re simply attempting to show him to shut it down slightly than staying on the baseline and grinding. As a result of with the sort of energy he generates, you’re sure to get a weaker ball, and when you keep again, it’s of no use,” Sachdeva informed Sportstar.
Karan was additionally a part of the Nationwide Tennis Centre (NTC) programme, designed to supply India’s prime junior and senior gamers with skilled coaching whereas assuaging monetary hurdles. The initiative, headed by former Indian Davis Cup coach Zeeshan Ali, was primarily based on the very venue the place Karan made his Davis Cup debut.
Nonetheless, following directives from the All India Tennis Affiliation, the NTC ceased operations on December 31 final 12 months.
“In 2019, I moved to NTC and was right here with Zeeshan sir for 2 years. I used to be quantity two within the nation within the Below-18 rankings, in order that they picked me from there and helped me so much in my journey. I had a extremely good time with Zeeshan and Arun (Kumar) sir. It was nice publicity as a result of there have been many good gamers to practise with, and it’s a bit unlucky for the nation that we don’t have a nationwide tennis centre anymore,” mentioned Karan, a former junior nationwide champion and runner-up on the Senior Nationals.
He additionally had a quick stint with Vivek Shokeen, one other Davis Cupper.
Since 2021, Karan has primarily competed on the ITF circuit, the bottom tier {of professional} males’s tennis, reaching two singles finals. Nonetheless, this 12 months, he goals to take the subsequent step.
“After the 4 Challengers in India, I’ll see the place my rating is and whether or not I can get into extra tournaments on the similar stage or ATP Tour occasions, however I’m undoubtedly not trying ahead to enjoying extra ITFs as a result of I need to transfer from that circuit,” mentioned Karan, at the moment ranked World No. 496.
Sachdeva hopes to information Karan to a stage the place he can compete in Grand Slam qualifying rounds in 2025. With a most of 400 ATP rating factors out there throughout the 4 upcoming Challengers at house, the Haryana lad has a major alternative to make a robust push in direction of that purpose.