Men’s tennis is a very power dominated game. A lot of new talents that are coming into the game are hitting the ball huge, serving huge and are super athletic.

You need to have a certain physicality to break into the upper echelons of the game. But that doesn’t mean that if you are a smaller guy, you don’t have any chance.

A lot of players with relatively smaller body frame are doing well too in recent years. They are specimens in different ways.

For instance, look at players from Japan that have made it to the top rankings and their body types, they don’t have very large body types. So, if they can do it why not us?

You can be a Sumit Nagal and still break into the top 50, even if you are less than six feet tall. (Nagal is the sixth Indian player to win a junior Grand Slam title. He is currently ranked at 243 and stands at 5’10).

I myself didn’t have a large body type. I was only 5’11. Despite that I found a way to break into the top 100 and spend a good amount of time there. It’s possible. But the only thing is that you have to work that much harder. Our coaching methods should change. We need to bring in a lot more intensity into our practice sessions and fitness training programmes.

(Continues)