Aryan Shah, a tennis player from Gujarat, has made history by becoming the first player from the state to be selected for the senior Indian Davis Cup team. The team, captained by Rohit Rajpal, will face Sweden on indoor hard courts in Stockholm starting from September 14. The squad also includes India’s top-ranked player Sumit Nagal, along with Ramkumar Ramanathan, Sriram Balaji, Niki Poonacha, Sidhharth Vishwakarma, and Aryan Shah as a reserve.
The Bhuj-born Aryan expressed his happiness and excitement about his selection, stating, “I’m happy with the selection. It was on expected lines. To be part of the team as one of its youngest players is something I’m really looking forward to.”Aryan teamed up along with former great Bjorn Borg’s son Leo Borg for an ITF tournament in Kingston, Jamaica earlier this year.
Shrimal Bhatt, the secretary of the Gujarat State Tennis Association (GSTA), emphasized the significance of Aryan’s achievement, not only for the player himself but also for Gujarat and Indian tennis as a whole. Bhatt also acknowledged the crucial role played by Aryan’s coach, Swapnil Desai, in shaping the young player’s career.
At just 18 years old, Aryan boasts an ATP ranking of 657 and is currently the 6th highest-ranked Indian player according to the All India Tennis Association (AITA) charts. He is also the youngest player among the top 30 in India. Aryan’s tennis journey began in Bhuj, but his father, Prashant Shah, decided to bring him to Ahmedabad for better training opportunities after recognizing his potential.
