Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Apr 5: Rising tennis star Aryan Shah continues to make waves on the Indian tennis circuit, delivering a determined performance at the SM Krishna Memorial Open in Bengaluru. The 19-year-old from Ahmedabad reached the quarterfinals in singles and made a semifinal run in doubles, solidifying his status as one of India’s most promising young talents.
In the singles draw, sixth-seeded Shah fought hard but ultimately fell to second seed Oliver Crawford, 6-3, 6-0 — marking his fourth straight loss to the Englishman. Reflecting on the repeated defeats, Shah candidly shared, “I’m not sure why I can’t get past him. It’s not like I believe I can’t beat someone I’ve lost to before — I’ve done that plenty of times. But Crawford just reads my game really well. Everything I hit seems to land right in his comfort zone.”
Shah, however, refused to blame exhaustion. “If I’m an athlete, I should be able to handle this stuff,” he said firmly. “It’s more about the matchup. He’s confident against my style, and I haven’t figured out how to disrupt that yet.”
In doubles, Shah partnered with fellow Indian Karan Singh, and the pair made an impressive run to the semifinals, before being ousted by the American-Kazakh duo of Nick Chappell and Grigoriy Lomakin.
Despite the setback, Shah came into the tournament riding a high. He had recently clinched his first ITF M25 title in Ahmedabad, snapping Jay Clarke’s 14-match winning streak and collecting his second career pro title. That win also earned him a coveted spot in the ATP Next Gen Accelerator programme, ensuring direct main draw entries into eight ATP Challenger events (categories 50 and 75) this year.
Shah’s ambitions are clear, but grounded. “My goal by year-end is to break into the ATP Top 300. Getting to 250 would be ideal,” he said. “But I’m not in a position to play 30 tournaments like some of the other players. I’m targeting 18 or 19, so I’ll have to be sharp in every one of them.”
Financial constraints are a significant factor in his journey. “I don’t have sponsorship right now,” Shah explained. “So every tournament involves careful planning — flights, costs, how fit I am, and whether it’s worth the investment. My dad, my coach, and I plan the calendar together.”
Looking ahead, Shah is eyeing a Challenger event in Ivory Coast later this month. He’s fully aware of what it’ll take to reach the next level. “I need to be physically stronger, faster, and more agile. And on court, my game has to grow — more power, more consistency. The graph’s been a bit up and down, but I know what I need to do.”
Despite the challenges, one thing is clear — Aryan Shah isn’t just playing to compete; he’s playing to climb. And his grit, focus, and self-awareness could be the keys to unlocking a future among the sport’s elite.