Subhash is top ranked in the Under-14, U-16 girls in the US.
WASHINGTON, DC: Thirteen-year-old Indian American Natasha Subhash, a resident of Fairfax, Virginia, has got a wild card in the 2015 US Open Tennis Championships, becoming the youngest ever Indian-origin player to play for the Junior girls title in a Grand Slam event.
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Subhash, who will begin her qualifying round match likely from September 4 when the girls’ championship kicks off, may also be given a wild card to play in the Junior girls doubles championship, a decision which will be taken towards the end of the month by the United States Tennis Association (USTA).
In the 2014 championships, Marie Bouzkova (CZE) had defeated Anhelina Kalinina (UKR), 6-4, 7-6, to win the US Open girls’ singles title.
The tournament is officially set to commence from August 31-September 13 at the hard courts of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, in Flushing Meadows, New York.
Subhash, a 9th grader at the Falls Church High School, trains at 4 Star Tennis Academy, under coach Bear Schofield, a graduate of the University of Virginia. She is currently the Number 1 ranked player in the nation in Girls 14 and 16 categories.
Speaking to The American Bazaar at her home, on Sunday, Subhash said she feels “really excited and I want to do as well as I can.”
Natasha Subhash is the daughter of Subhash Kongassery and Sulekha Subhash, who emigrated to the United States in 1997, from Delhi. The couple, who are from Kerala, grew up in Delhi. Sulekha is a teacher, while Subhash Kongassery is an IT professional in the Washington, DC area.
When asked what challenges came in playing competitively, Natasha Subhash said, “[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.”
According to the website TennisRecruiting.net, Subhash has an impressive 70-19 record. Subhash, who is a big fan of the Swiss great Roger Federer, told the Bazaar that the most improved aspect of her game is her speed.
According to Sulekha, the average summer day for her daughter includes playing tennis from 8 am to about 1 pm. Her practice involves both tennis practice and fitness routines for an hour. Her fitness training occurs thrice a week, while the rest of it is regular tennis practice.
During the school year, she goes for practice after school for about five hours, six days a week. Outside of tennis, her other interests include watching TV, listening to music, reading and just being outdoors.
Subhash, who was born at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC, started playing tennis in the basement of her home with her dad throwing balls to her, at around the age of 5. When she started playing organized tennis, it was her dad who was Subhash’s first coach and hitting partner.
After noticing her great eye-and-hand coordination, her parents enrolled her for tennis classes at the “Four Star” academy in Fairfax run by Bob Pass.
“She really loved playing tennis and at 6 years old started competing in tournaments,” said Sulekha Subhash, in an interview to the Bazaar. “We found that she was very thrilled to compete and really enjoyed the whole process. That is how it started. Of course, gradually as she got better at it, she moved up the ranks of the ladder.”
Sulekha Subhash, who teaches U.S. history, said she and her husband decided early on that they would do all they can to support their effort.
“This means Subhash’s vacation time is usually spent on travelling for tournaments,” she said. “He does not mind it and we all really love to watch her play.”
Sulekha Subhash said tennis takes almost all of her family’s time.
“We love the journey more so because Natasha has learned to be disciplined and focused due to the effort that she has put in playing the sport,” she said.
Sulekha said the family tries to provide the tennis prodigy “with all of the opportunities.”
“Tennis is an expensive sport and it involves a lot of grueling hard work including fitness sessions at least thrice a week for an hour each,” she said. “It is an outdoor sport and so it can be physically exhausting if one is playing two matches a day which sometimes can last for three hours per match. So, Natasha has to make sure she is hydrated and also takes care of her nutrition needs.”
Being an athlete, food is something Subhash is very particular about.
“She does not eat a lot of processed foods and avoids too much sugar,” Sulekha Subhash said.
The total expenses for Natasha’s tennis training, gear, traveling and hotel expenses exceeds $40,000 a year. It’s now going to be more as Natasha will compete on the international circuit.
In a statement to the Bazaar from Delhi, where he is visiting family, Subhash Kongassery was cautious in putting too much expectations on his daughter’s head, and instead, wants to let her enjoy her finest moment in a terrific tennis career so far.
“I don’t want Natasha to be overburdened by expectations,” said Kongassery.