Rising Tennis Stars Aim to Inspire Indian Community in NZ

Two promising tennis players from New Zealand, Aishi Das and Yashwitha Reddy, are hoping to inspire greater participation in tennis among the Indian community in their country. Despite a growing interest in the sport, they note that tennis still trails behind more popular sports like cricket and badminton. Their recent international successes have prompted them to encourage younger players of Indian descent to embrace the game.

Aishi Das, 17, recently returned from the ITF J500 tournament in Osaka, Japan, where she made it to the third round. The ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors offers multiple levels of competition, including J500, J300, J200, J100, J60, and J30, providing aspiring athletes with essential match-play experience and opportunities to gain ITF world ranking points. This year, Das has already claimed victories at the J100 tournament in Wellington and the J60 in Ashburton, where she notably defeated Lani Chang, daughter of Grand Slam champion Michael Chang, in the final.

Currently, Das holds an ITF Junior ranking of 138 and a WTA ranking of 1284, while also being the number one player in New Zealand’s under-18 category. “It’s been great – I’ve had so many experiences and opportunities through tennis,” Das said, reflecting on her journey that began at age seven when her father introduced her to the sport. With roots in Punjab and Kolkata, she expressed pride in her heritage, stating, “I don’t get to visit India often because of training, but I went back in April for a tournament and met my cousin for the first time.”

Das acknowledged the unique challenges of training in New Zealand, a relatively small country with fewer high-level competitors. “New Zealand’s a small country, so there aren’t as many players competing at that higher level that you can train with,” she explained. Despite this, she is optimistic about the future of tennis within the Indian community. “With the Indian community, the more typical sports are cricket and badminton. But now, more players are branching out into tennis, and I’d love to see that continue.”

Reddy, who moved from Andhra Pradesh, India, to New Zealand nine years ago, shares similar aspirations. She also competed in Japan last month and has achieved considerable success, including national titles in the under-12 and under-14 categories and two Junior ITF J30 tournament victories in Fiji. At just 15 years old, Reddy is ranked 322 in the ITF Juniors and third in New Zealand’s under-18 category.

“There was a tennis court near our house, and I just tried it and fell in love with the sport,” Reddy said. The independence of tennis appeals to her, as she enjoys the individual nature of the game. Yet like Das, she recognizes the limitations of training in New Zealand. “I don’t think there are enough players here at that same high level to compete against,” she noted, comparing her experience to the training environments in countries like Australia.

Both players are part of Tennis New Zealand’s Athlete Development Programme and received Grand Slam Player Grants from the ITF this year in the junior category. They follow in the footsteps of notable Indian New Zealanders such as Ajeet Rai and Kiranpal Pannu, who have represented New Zealand in the Davis Cup.

As Reddy prepares for the upcoming national championships in Christchurch, she remains enthusiastic about the sport. “It’s a challenging sport but once you really like it, it’s a great one to play,” she said, echoing the sentiments of many young athletes who aspire to not only excel but also inspire others in their communities.