Rohan Bopanna’s Vision: Empowering India’s Underprivileged Youth with Opportunities | ATP Tour

Rohan Bopanna, the ATP doubles star, is making headlines for his latest initiative to provide opportunities for underprivileged youth in India. Bopanna has taken on the ambitious task of relocating 25 children from Assam, a state in India’s north-east, to his tennis academy in Bengaluru, nearly 3,000 km away.

The selected children, aged nine to 11, were chosen from a pool of 300 based on their general athletic ability, rather than tennis skills. Many of these children have never left their home state and do not speak the local language in Bengaluru. Despite these challenges, they have been offered scholarships that include free lodging, education, and tennis instruction at the Rohan Bopanna Tennis Academy.

Bopanna, who recently achieved the World No. 1 ranking in the ATP Doubles Rankings, expressed his commitment to nurturing the children’s athletic talents while empowering them with education and life skills for their future. The program aims to not only develop tennis players but also to support the overall growth and well-being of the underprivileged youth.

The initiative, made possible with financial support from Kamal India Foundation UK, marks a significant milestone in democratizing access to tennis and promoting inclusivity within the sport. The academy plans to retain the children through Year 12 and welcome new intakes of around 20 children annually.

Bopanna emphasized the challenges of acclimating the children to a new city and language but remains optimistic about the impact of the program. He hopes that the children will not only excel in tennis but also become valuable contributors to the sport in India’s future. The Rohan Bopanna Tennis Academy, established in 2016, aims to provide young athletes in India with world-class tennis coaching and holistic sports development opportunities.