Bopanna’s Blueprint: Providing opportunities for India’s underprivileged youth

ATP doubles star Rohan Bopanna is embarking on one of the most ambitious off-court undertakings of his life, relocating 25 children almost 3,000 km to give them sporting and educational opportunities at his tennis academy in Bengaluru.

Recently, 25 children aged nine to 11 were selected from a pool of 300 to relocate from India’s north-east state of Assam, known for its world-class tea production, to the southern Indian city of Bengaluru, home to more than eight million.

The underprivileged children, many of whom have never crossed state lines or been away from their families, don’t speak Bengaluru’s native language, Kannada. And they have been selected not for tennis skill, rather general athletic ability.

The scholarship winners will receive free lodging, education and tennis instruction at the Rohan Bopanna Tennis Academy, part of The Sports School, through graduation in Year 12.

“Typically we look at kids who have already played the sport, but here we’re starting from scratch with kids who haven’t even seen a tennis court or held a racquet,” said Bopanna, who earlier this year rose to World No. 1 in the PIF ATP Doubles Rankings for the first time in his career, aged 43, after winning the Australian Open with Matthew Ebden.

"Through this programme, we aim to not only nurture their athletic talents but also empower them with education and life skills that will shape their future. While we might get a player to emerge from this, it’s more about helping these underprivileged kids in life.”

Established in 2016 and serving about 80 children before this new intake, The Rohan Bopanna Tennis Academy is part of The Sports School in Bengaluru, which houses about 400 students who participate in a chosen sport such as tennis, cricket, badminton and football. Children also undergo traditional study on site, eliminating travel between school and sports activities.

The launch of this programme, made possible by financial support from Kamal India Foundation UK, marks a significant milestone in the efforts to democratise access to tennis and promote inclusivity within the sport. The intent is to retain the children through Year 12 and welcome new intakes of around 20 children every year.

“The toughest part is retaining them because they’re coming into a very different city to what they’ve known and they don’t speak the language,” Bopanna said. “Most of these kids have never been outside the area they come from.

“We have to get some people who speak their language in order to even teach them. We’ll be providing them racquets, shoes; we’re starting from scratch. It’s a big initiative and a little bit nerve-wracking, but it’s definitely going to be worthwhile.

“Hopefully the programme will be a step to them playing some junior tournaments or maybe even getting a tennis scholarship in the U.S. Even if they don’t take up the sport seriously, they may stay in the sport as we need good young people to help run tennis in India in the future.”

About Rohan Bopanna Tennis Academy
Established in March 2016, the Rohan Bopanna Tennis Academy (RBTA) offers young children in India access to a global standard tennis coaching programme. At RBTA, the focus is on encouraging holistic sports development of young athletes - with an emphasis on developing overall sports fitness, as well as honing tennis skills. Located at The Sports School, Bengaluru, The RBTA High-Performance Centre is an integrated centre with tennis and fitness training with a residential school and allied training facilities including nutrition, physio, psychologist.

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