More than 60 budding tennis players in Bengaluru had the unique opportunity to learn from professionals at a Tennis Clinic held at the KSLTA Tennis Stadium on the sidelines of the 2025 DafaNews Bengaluru Open. Interacting with 38th National Games gold medallists Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha and SD Prajwal Dev, along with current edition’s doubles finalists Blake Bayldon and Matthew Christopher Romios, and USA’s Brandon Holt’s coach, Bo Trays, the young players gained valuable insights into the sport.

The stars interacted with young athletes in a Q&A session, live drills, and hands-on coaching. Meanwhile, the youth gained insights directly from the players about fitness, nutrition, training routines, and match preparation, while also demonstrating their abilities in volleys and baseline shots.

Reflecting on the event and tennis’ burgeoning status in the country, Poonacha shared his excitement: “It was really nice to represent and win a medal for Karnataka in the National Games, and I’ve noticed the level of young players is getting higher. They are better prepared. Days after that, seeing so many kids here eager to learn, eager to improve is a great sign. This gives us a strong platform for the future.”

Tournament Director Sunil Yajaman highlighted the significance of such initiatives in promoting the sport: “It’s wonderful to see the enthusiasm among young players. Events like these show the excitement kids have for tennis and reflect the sport’s growing popularity in India. With this kind of energy and talent, the future of Indian tennis looks very bright. We hope to see some of the kids from today’s clinic at the Bengaluru Open in a few years’ time.”

Organised by the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Authority, the DafaNews Bengaluru Open, an ATP Challenger 125 event, began on February 24 and will conclude on March 2 with the singles final.