Exclusive interview with 13-year-old tennis prodigy who will play the US Open.
FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA: When Natasha Subhash, a 13-year-old Indian American teenager from Fairfax, Virginia, steps on court to play a qualifying match at the US Open Tennis Championships at Flushing Meadows, New York, next month, she will create history.
Subash will become the youngest Indian-origin player to ever compete for the girls’ title in a Grand Slam event.
Subhash has earned the wild card granted to her by the United States Tennis Association (USTA) with consistent performance almost from the time she took up a tennis racket, at the age of five, at the behest of her father, Subhash Kongassery and mother Sulekha Subhash, who are immigrants to the US, from Delhi.
Natasha Subhash started to play in tournaments at the age of six.
Subhash is now the top ranked player in both the Under 14 and Under 16 categories for girls in the US.
In an exclusive interview to The American Bazaar, Subhash, who is a 9th grader at the Falls Church High School (she went to Luther Jackson Middle School on Gallows Road, Falls Church), and trains at 4 Star Tennis Academy, under coach Bear Schofield, talked about her improved speed, her strength regimen, and what she admires about Roger Federer.
Watch the interview below:
Excerpts from the interview with Natasha Subhash:
Congratulations on qualifying for the U.S Open qualifying rounds. How do you feel?
Thanks! I feel really excited. And I just want to do as well as I can.
Take us through your career when did you first start playing?
I first started when I was around 5. My dad put me in some classes at the local club and I just started from there.
Did it immediately become a passion or did your parents goad you on?
At first it was just for fun, after that I started loving it a lot.
What excites you most about tennis?
I just love playing matches, and competing.
When did you start to dream of being a competitive player?
Probably when I first started. I started to play tournaments when I was around 6 years old.
Did it come easy? What were the challenges competitively?
Well, there are challenges in every sport, and in tennis you have to work a lot on your speed and strength and that has always been a challenge for me.
What was it like playing in Russia for the United States Tennis Association’s team?
That was an amazing experience. We stayed at the academy and it was just so much fun.
Obviously, a lot of credit to your success apart from your parent’s sacrifice, it’s your academy and coaches. Who are they?
I train at Four Star Tennis Academy, my personal coach is Bear Schofield but the director of the academy is Bob Pass and there have been a lot of other coaches that who have helped me.
What aspect of your game has improved the most?
My speed probably, I’ve improved a lot in that.
What do you do for strength training?
Well, we have a fitness coach who comes Monday through Thursday; and, I usually go to his own. He has a gym in his house and I go there in the weekends a lot. And, ya, he has really helped me improve.
Who are your role models and what aspect of their game inspires you?
I like [Roger] Federer and his mental strength inspires me a lot and I really take after him.
What are your immediate goals after U.S. Open?
I just want to get better every day and see if I can do well in everything I play.
How do you balance your school with play?
This past year, it was really tough, but I managed it well. I usually did my school work any chance I got, and I hope I can keep managing it well in the future.
What are your other interests?
I love listening to music and reading, and also being outside.
You are the top ranked player in the nation in your age category, can you tell us a little bit more about that?
I was number one in the under 12 and under 14, and now I am number one in the 16 and under.
How long have you been a ranked player?
I started playing tournaments when I was six, so since then.
Tell us about the US Open qualifying round…
Oh, this is my first time! So, basically I think I have to win a few rounds there and then if I qualify then I will be in the main draw, and, yeah, but every single match is going to be really hard. So, yeah!