(January 28, 2023) While kids his age were stressing over the upcoming board examinations, 16-year-old Rushil Khosla was busy preparing for international tennis tournaments. And just a couple of days before his Class X Board final exam, the young champion won the prestigious Junior Davis Cup, in Asia. The tennis champ, who has won several cups for the nation, is in the top 200 in International Tennis Federation (ITF) Junior Ranking and was conferred with the Bal Shakti Puraskar in 2020.
Rushil Khosla, young tennis player
“Playing for India is a great honour and a huge motivation. It brings out the best in my game,” the tennis champ said in an interview, adding, “Winning the Davis Cup Qualifiers was phenomenal and a dream come true. I would say that it is the most memorable moment of my career so far. The Davis Cup is a highly prestigious tournament and even as a 10-year-old, I aspired to compete in it.” As the young star gears up to win several other trophies for the country, Global Indian takes a look at the incredible journey of this sports star.
Starting young
The Delhi-based tennis player, who is currently among India’s Top 10 juniors, was introduced to the game at the age of seven by her sister. A huge fan of Rafael Nadal, Rushil had just one goal, to play like his idol. “I started playing at the age of seven-and-a-half. From the very start, I was really interested in sports. My sister used to play tennis and watching her I picked up the racquet as well and got the interest,” he said.
A left-hander, Rushil calls himself an all-court player. “People call me doubles specialist for that reason,” the champ laughed, adding, “I love to be at the net and hitting the ball hard and keeping the rallies long. I can do everything.” Talking about who inspires him the most, the tennis champ said, “While Nadal is my all-time favourite, I am inspired by Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as well. All three are so different but united in their pursuit of excellence and being the best. From other sports, Virat Kohli inspires me a lot as he is a complete professional and always gives more than 100 percent effort every time he steps out on the field.”
After representing his school for about three years, and winning several medals at the local competition, Rushil’s parents decided to get him into a more structured training routine and enrolled him at the Roundglass Tennis Academy in Chandigarh, under coach Aditya Sachdeva. “I can say it was a turning point for me,” Rushil shared while talking about his coach, “Aditya sir has been my coach for several years now, and it has been great training under him.”
Son of a professor, Rushil had to work a little extra to ensure that his grades do not drop at school as well. “I maintain a balance while focusing more on tennis. I utilise my travel time for studies. Instead of taking out a phone for movies or other entertainment, I attend online school classes, make notes instead, and start learning. Mom says I am a quick learner. So I save my playtime with friends. My mother is a professor and my Nana is a Principal and a great teacher with exceptional skills – their support is great,” the champion said.
Entering into the big leagues
In 2019, Rushil won 21 of the 23 titles that he played for, and was even selected to represent Asia in the prestigious “Eddie Herr & Junior Orange Bowl” tournament in Florida, USA. After winning a total of six titles in the Asian A grade tournaments, which are the highest level for juniors in the category, he was ranked Asia number 1 in the U-14 category as per ATF Ranking in January 2020 – the same year he received the Bal Shakti Puraskar. Speaking about being conferred with the Bal Shakti Puraskar by the President of India, and also being referred to as a ‘friend’ by PM Modi, Rushil said, “A moment of pride for me and I will cherish the moment forever.”
The champion stepped into 2021 with a huge victory in Nairobi and continued his winning streak even in 2022. Currently standing at the sixth position among India’s top 10 Juniors and in the top 200 in the world, Rushil is not worried about his ranking in the least. “Rankings can be motivating and give you the challenge of making the top 100. But other than that, it doesn’t matter. I need to work on my game to win tournaments for my country. I used to be a defensive player as I was thin with limited power but my mind and intent are to hit the ball. However, with time I have stepped up to match bigger boys both in mind and skill. At this level, I can’t afford to be defensive, I need to be the aggressor and take my chances.”
Aspiring to be as good a sportsman as his inspirations, Rushil has big dreams for the future. “In the next five years, I want to play and win a Junior Grand Slam and start playing on the professional tour. My ultimate goal is to win Olympic gold for my country in 2028,” the tennis star expressed.
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