India's Next Serena Williams

www.ozy.com [OZY]() Your World. Bold & Bright [Daily Dose]( Sponsored by [Cariuma]( The newsletter to fuel — and thrill — your mind. Read for deep dives into the unmissable ideas and topics shaping our world. Jul 27, 2022 Today India’s Qamar family has produced not one but three young tennis players on the International Tennis Federation circuit. Despite a lack of support — much like the Williams family in the U.S. — one young woman and her two brothers have advanced in the national rankings, all while training other young players, too. It’s now becoming increasingly difficult for them to afford the pricey world of elite tennis. Will they make it to the top? Today’s Daily Dose has the story. – with reporting by Anmol Arora from Rajasthan, India [All We Think About Is…Going Green]( [Cariuma]( Being eco-friendly has never been easier. Say hi to your new [favorite sneaker]( – made from organic cotton and natural rubber. Stylish, comfortable, timeless, and consciously made. You can’t go wrong. Shop now with code OZY20 to snag [20% OFF]( your purchase!. This special offer is just for OZY readers. [LET’S GO GREEN]( Not from the country club How did it start? Qamaruddin Khan picked up a tennis racket for the first time sixteen years ago. It was just another challenge for Khan, who had previously played cricket, volleyball and badminton at the national level. He wanted his three children to play badminton but their hometown in the state of Rajasthan did not have an indoor court for practice. “Let’s go play something new,” Khan told his then six-year-old son Faisal, and took him out to try tennis. Three future stars Faisal quickly took to the sport. His young brother Fardeen soon followed in his footsteps, and eventually their younger sister Aleen stepped on the court, too. Khan taught them how to serve and hold backhand and forehand grips with the help of books and YouTube videos. They progressed through the rigors of training and started competing — and winning. They appeared in the national junior ranks and in the All India Tennis Association and International Tennis Federation tournaments. Today, Fardeen and Aleen are the highest-ranked players in Rajasthan, and 19-year-old Aleen is currently all-India number 16. Not as glamorous as you think “My whole family is devoted to tennis. We eat, drink, sleep and live with tennis every day,” says the kids’ mother, Razia. She makes them breakfast every morning before they hit the court at 6 a.m. They practice until noon, come home for lunch and rest. Then the grind continues at 3 p.m. Rain or shine, they follow this routine. Other players typically join them in the evening as they are training other would-be stars across beginner, intermediate and even advanced levels. This allows them to earn some money. 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As the youngest sibling, Aleen sees herself as having three coaches, plus there’s always someone to play with. A hard-hitter, she takes inspiration from Serena and new-gen champion Iga Świątek. Aleen won her division at the [Roland Garros series event]( in Bangalore in 2018, which brought her attention on the national circuit. Now in the women’s division, she earned her first WTA point last year. Faisal At his first national tournament in Punjab at age 12, Faisal lost in the semi-finals, but the owner was impressed by him. “They gave me a scholarship of free training, food, stay and travel for being there,” he told OZY via a Zoom interview. But the academy was not a good fit for him as it catered to senior players and, in an echo of Richard Williams, his father disagreed with the academy about the significance of tournament play. Today, Faisal says his serve and defense are his strengths, and he takes inspiration from Boris Becker and Rafael Nadal. About the latter he says, “I love his fighter spirit.” In 2016, Faisal won his first national tournament, and in 2019 reached his career-high ranking (thus far): number 11 on the Indian men’s circuit. Fardeen Fardeen is the sibling who wants to have fun on the court. Laughing during his interview with OZY, he recalled how he toyed with an opponent in a match when he was 17: “I did an underarm serve, he returned, then I did a drop, he returned, and I made a drop shot again, he returned, and then I did a drop shot again.” At age 15 he began playing national tournaments. “Faisal used to train me and treat me like a kid. He was always playing with me like a toy,” he says. Along with his sister, Fardeen won his category at Bangalore’s 2018 Roland Garros series event, then emerged victorious that same year at the junior finals in Chennai, where he defeated India’s second-ranked junior player. WATCH PRIYANKA CHOPRA JONAS on [The Carlos Watson Show](! Challenges + opportunity Money is a thing The family of players continuously struggle with a lack of funds. Their father has sold all his property to support their career and has leased land to operate the Rajasthan Tennis Club in Jaipur. It has four clay courts, where they practice and earn money by coaching others. But there are piles of expenses, from tournament entry and travel costs and equipment to maintaining an ordinary family budget. Faisal, who also works for the Indian Navy, has to balance his tennis career with his job and consider the finances, as well as the careers of his younger siblings, in his decision making. They all are striving to improve not only their game but their life circumstances. Will Adidas, Asics or Fila come knocking? They have not yet attracted sponsorship from the big names in tennis, nor have they received scholarships from the government. Just as Richard Williams fought against the odds to take Serena and Venus ahead in their game, Khan is trying to overcome the barriers in the elite world of tennis. It takes a lot of money to support one career, let alone three. Instead of paying private academies hundreds of thousands of rupees that he doesn’t have in order to train one player, Khan has taken it upon himself to coach his kids, and others too. He says they need between $38,000 and $50,000 per player per year to accomplish their goals. Long way to the top Faisal points out that he plays “only” 40 international tournaments every year, while other players may compete in an astonishing 200. It’s a chicken-and-egg problem: If they climbed a little higher in the ranks, they would likely attract a sponsor or investor. But they need the funds now to get to that level. An institute in California has recently expressed interest in a possible sponsorship for Aleen and the family is currently in talks with them about the details. Could this be the turning point? Khan is adamant that he will find a way for all of his kids to keep playing, and to keep striving for the top. Community Corner Is there a young athlete in your community OZY should write about? Let us know! Share your thoughts with us at OzyCommunity@Ozy.com. ABOUT OZY OZY is a diverse, global and forward-looking media and entertainment company focused on “the New and the Next.” OZY creates space for fresh perspectives, and offers new takes on everything from news and culture to technology, business, learning and entertainment. [www.ozy.com]( / #OZY Curiosity. Enthusiasm. Action. That’s OZY! [TV]( | [PODCASTS]( | [NEWS]( | [FESTIVALS]( A Modern Media Company OZY Media, 800 West El Camino Mountain View, California 94040 This email was sent to {EMAIL} [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Read Online](