Raised on clay, promising Vedant ready for next step

BENGALURU: Vedant Mohan -- India’s most promising sub-junior tennis player (under-14) – has kickstarted the next step of his junior career, transitioning to the International Tennis Federation’s junior Tour (under-18).
The 14-year-old, who had been locked down at his training base in Javea, a coastal town in Spain since February, started by playing a couple of base-level ITFs in Sri Lanka these last weeks. He's scheduled for more J30s and J60s in May, most likely in Africa.
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Vedant, left-handed, also plays on the Spanish circuit and has gained immensely in the last few years competing in Tennis Europe events alongside some of the best under-14 talents in the world. Vedant’s highest ranking in the under-14 section of the Tennis Europe ratings was achieved on his 14th birthday this January, when he still had another 12 months left in the age-group.
He was ranked No.13 and at the time, the only Asian in the top 25.
While playing in Europe helped grow Vedant’s game, the 5-feet-8-inch Indian couldn’t play the full circuit. He didn’t qualify for the European Championships, the Summer or Winter Cups, all big-ticket competitions, and open only to Europeans as they are team events.
That, along with the fact that he was cash-strapped, contributed to Vedant’s rather limited matchplay in comparison to his peers (2011-born) who were ranked higher than him.
For instance, the TE No.1 (U-14) Mario Vukovic of France has played 176 singles matches and the No.2 Greece’s Rafael Pagonis played 192 while Vedant has played just 102.
The 14-year-old will now play a mix of U-16 and U-18 tournaments in Spain, while targeting ITF under-18s. Vedant’s parents – father Dhruv and mother Anisha – moved to Spain five years ago when their son, then nine, received a tennis scholarship.
Mohan, a commercial pilot, has for most part funded Vedant’s mushrooming career, while also leaning on Anisha’s and his family back home in India. He lives in Muscat, while Anisha and their two sons live in Javea, where Vedant trains under Javier Ferrer, brother of former top-5 pro David.
Vedant, who idolises tennis legend Novak Djokovic because of his mentality, says his favourite surface is clay.
“I love that I can rip the ball hard and heavy with topspin on clay. Also, I love to slide,” he told TOI. “My favourite shot is my inside-out forehand. I like to play aggressively, my game is all court. I like to volley and also play with variation.”
Mohan, a collegiate-level tennis player in India, winning gold medals in singles and doubles, is hoping his son will be part of junior Grand Slam draws in the next 18-to-24 months.
“The ultimate goal is the pros, the ATP Tour,” he said, adding, “At this stage we’re only looking to develop his game.”