Arnav Paparkar on dominant semi-final win in Kuala Lumpur and Future Plans
India’s rising junior tennis player Arnav Paparkar delivered a dominant 6–1, 6–0 win at the ITF J200 Kuala Lumpur semi-final against Korea’s Junseo Jang. Speaking with ITD after the match, he shared his thoughts on his performance, improvements in his game, and plans for the upcoming weeks.
Q: Congratulations on your comprehensive 6–1, 6–0 win at the ITF J200 Kuala Lumpur. What are your thoughts on the match today?
Arnav Paparkar: I think, I was playing really good. I didn’t do any mistakes, and I was serving well. And yeah, was just steady on the baseline, and I was just keeping the ball in.
Q: Your opponent seemed to struggle against your serve. Have you been working on that?
Arnav: Yeah, I have been working on my serve a lot and on my second serve as well.
Q: What’s next for you after this tournament?
Arnav: So next week there is a tournament in my home city, Pune. J300 regional championship. So I’m gonna go there, and after that I’m gonna go to Europe for tournaments before Roland Garros.
Q: Are you going to mix in some pro events as well, or stay in juniors for now?
Arnav: Juniors for now. Second half of the year, maybe I’ll play some pro, but now I’m focusing on Juniors.
Q: How do you find the level difference between juniors and pros, and what do you need to prepare more?
Arnav: I think so, it is a big difference between Juniors and Pros. And you need to improve your fitness a lot for transitioning to pros and yeah. And you just have to hit big. You cannot just keep the ball in play.
Q: What’s your plan—college tennis or going pro?
Arnav: I haven’t decided yet. Most probably I’ll go pro.
Q: If someone asked you about your game—your strengths and what you’re working on—what would you say?
Arnav: I’m working on my forehand more, but I think my backhand is way better than my forehand, so that is my plus point.
With a commanding performance at the ITF J200 Kuala Lumpur and a busy schedule ahead – including a home tournament in Pune and a European swing – Arnav Paparkar continues to build momentum on the junior circuit.
