There are no adult Indian singles players at the Australian Open for the first time in six years. The community’s hopes are now with junior Aryan Shah.
The tennis courts of Williamstown, in Melbourne’s west, are a long way from Ahmedabad in the Indian state of Gujarat.
While he’s not a household name, the hopes of both India and Australia’s huge Indian diaspora rests on Aryan’s shoulders for this Australian Open. It’s the first time in six years that no adult Indian singles players will participate in the grand slam tournament. “I’m nervous but feeling pretty good,” he says, smiling beneath a mop of dark, curly hair. “It is a grand slam, after all.”
Coach Vaidik Munshaw and Aryan Shah practice in the lead up to the junior’s competition at the Australian Open.Growing up, Aryan was laser focused on sport: he didn’t watch TV, have a phone or play video games. He picked up a tennis racket at age six and a year later was playing at state and district levels.
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