Tennis has a special connection with India from the early British Raj days. Currently India is doing well in doubles, but the eternal search for the singles Grand Slam champion continues.
India’s highest ranked U-14 player and youngest player from India to have ITF points, Dev Javia is set to represent India at Wimbledon in August. Javia won titles in Indore, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Kolkata in the HSBC Road to Wimbledon 2016 campaign. He was also India's No. 1 in the U-12 rankings earlier.
Javia has won more than 10 titles in singles and doubles so far. Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, he gave his thoughts on tennis, his dreams and accomplishments.
Experience with the Road to Wimbledon event
“It was great playing the best players from India. The opponents were tough; it was good practice for me. I played my best tennis during the event. Tim Henman gave very good tips which came handy in the Delhi leg of the event. The level of the tournament was very high, especially after the quarterfinals.
“Some of the brightest players of my age category – Sandeep VM, Arayan Zaveri, Divyesh Gehlot – also participated in the event. Sandeep is also my doubles partner. We have very good combination; Sandeep and I communicate well on court. He plays more from the baseline and I play more at the net.
“We played three times during the Road to Wimbledon and won all three events.”
Special preparation for RTW tournament
“The Road to Wimbledon events in India were on synthetic courts but I had to play on grass in the RTW Masters. I had to go to Nadiad to get the feel of the surface. I am focusing on bending and agility because of the nature of the surface.”
Training regime
“I do two hours’ fitness training in the morning, five days a week. I also attend personal training with Shrimal Sir in the morning. I have two hours of tennis coaching every evening, followed by fitness training.”
Thoughts on the state of the men’s game in India
“We Indians have good hand skills, volley skills and techniques but we lack in diet, fitness and intensity compared to the European players. If we focus on these things we can compete with them.”
Goals
“I have short term goals and long term goals. In the short term, I want to break into the top 1000 ITF barrier by the end of the season and to win at Wimbledon in August.
“As for long-term goals, I want to represent India in Davis Cup, want to be become first Indian player to win a Grand Slam in singles and become a Top 10 player.”
Support from various organizations
“I have got financial support from Happiness Reserves Foundation and Sports Authority of Gujarat. I am also getting funding from SAG under the Shaktidoot scheme which enables me to play ITF tournaments throughout the year.
“I am very fortunate to have great infrastructure at Shaishya Academy. The coaches Shrimal Bhatt Sir, Devinder Bhusari Sir, fitness trainer Priyanka Parikh have been taking good care of me.”
Next target after HSBC road to Wimbledon
“I want to become India's number 1 in the under-16 category in the first year itself. I want to become part of the U-16 Davis Cup team as soon as possible. Of course, there is tough competition from Aryan Zaveri and Sandeep.”
Dev is currently training at Shaishya Tennis Academy in Ahmedabad where we talked with the director Mr. Shrimal Bhatt.
Coach on Dev Javia
“Dev is number one in India right now; I have coached 4-5 number ones till now but Dev’s game is complete. He doesn’t have any weakness. Some players have footwork issue, bad second serve, weak forehand or backhand but Dev is the complete package.
“One of the key traits of a top player is mental strength. And Dev handles pressure very well. He is 14 right now; his body is still developing. He is in a transition period. Dev is turning into an all court player from a baseline player. Also, because he is growing, his service speed is increasing. Dev served 80-85 MPH earlier which has increased to around 100 MPH.
“I can proudly say that he is one of the best servers in India in the junior circuit.”
Fact File
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 57 kg
Age: 14 (DOB 16 Mar 2002)
First famous player he met or encountered: Goran Ivanisevic last year; he advised me on his serve and toss.
Why do you love playing tennis? I just love tennis; I can’t sit idle at home. I have to play tennis at least once everyday.
Favourite shot: Forehand
Strength: Serve
Favourite surface: Clay
Favourite athlete/sportsperson: Rafael Nadal, Sachin Tendulkar
Favourite tournament: French Open
