Indian Tennis star Rohan Bopanna restarted his training at Rohan Bopanna Tennis Academy in suburban Yelahanka in Bengaluru, for the first time in almost three months. He is the first elite tennis player in country to start training after the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I felt like I was a kid again. It was so amazing to be back on the court,” the doubles specialist said Bopanna.
“I had a hit for around one-and-a-half hours,” he said. “I’m taking it very slow right now. I didn’t even serve; just got a feel of hitting some shots again, feel the motion of forehands and backhands; not go for too many sprints. I am in no hurry. I want to enjoy just being back on the court.”
Earlier, Bopanna announced a scholarship Programme for 60 kids across age group, also started sessions for kids in his academy and neither Bopanna nor the kids touch the ball on the court, only the coaches are allowed to do that. “The only thing I touched while training was my racquet. The coaches feed us the balls and they pick it up. We’re strict about that. Besides, we wear masks till entering the court and check everyone’s temperature before and after a session, including that of the coaches,” said Bopanna.
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Boppana was last seen into action on March 7 with Leander Paes in Davis Cup. While he is quarantined with his family in Coorg, where he could get only a few hours to training.
“All the wonderful food I ate in Coorg, I can feel it slowly coming out now,” Bopanna joked. “I wasn’t rusty in my hitting, but very much in terms of my movement on the court. After all these days of not hitting, when you have a 10-15 ball rally, you start breathing heavier. So suddenly, when I’m hitting forehands and backhands continuously, it definitely feels different. Tennis fitness and normal fitness are poles apart.”
“It’s tougher to practice when you don’t have a plan in terms of tournaments. Hopefully, we’ll have clarity about the tour in a couple of weeks or so. It all depends on the US swing and what ATP decides on that. Till then I’ll take it slow, not try to do too many things and ease back into tennis,” he added.
