01 — The beginning
An 8-year-old and a borrowed racquet
Kaustubh had never played tennis and didn’t know the rules when, aged 8, he came to a free community tennis camp organised by PLAY n FIT Tennis Academy. His first-ever swing came with a racquet handed to him by Coach Mohammad Obaid.
02 — The coaching
Building from a blank slate
With no bad habits to undo, Obaid could build modern technique from the ground up. Training at the academy focused on turning Kaustubh into an aggressive baseliner, spending years on a high-velocity serve and a heavy, penetrating forehand.
Just as important was mental toughness — a “never-say-die” attitude that mattered when he faced opponents with far more experience on paper.
03 — The rise
Climbing the AITA circuit
- U-12 foundation. Broke into the national Top 150 by late 2023 — ranked 117 in AITA Boys U-12 on 31 December 2023.
- Titles. Won titles across several AITA tiers, including National Series, Super Series and Championship Series events.
- Uttar Pradesh No. 1. Reached the state’s No. 1 junior ranking on 13 January 2025.
- National No. 1. On 11 August 2025 he became AITA National No. 1 in Boys U-14, holding the top spot for 7 consecutive weeks — only the second player from Uttar Pradesh to reach it since 2014. He was also a top seed at the Fenesta Open National Tennis Championship.
04 — Representing India
Wearing the Tricolour
In March 2025 his results earned a call-up to the Indian U-14 National Team. In April 2025 he travelled to Kuching, Malaysia, as part of the squad for the World Junior Tennis competition — the event often described as the “Junior Davis Cup”, where the best young players from the Asia/Oceania region compete for a place in the World Group.
Representing India, he recorded wins including 6-0, 6-3 against Pakistan’s Rashid Ali and 6-4, 6-2 against Indonesia’s Titouan Parrod.
05 — What’s next
Stepping up to U-16
By early 2026 Kaustubh had moved into the Under-16 circuit, ranked No. 22 in India (AITA Boys U-16, 19 January 2026). Still guided by Mohammad Obaid, his next goal is the ITF Junior World Rankings.
| Category | Rank | Date |
|---|---|---|
| AITA Boys U-14 | 1 | 11 Aug 2025 |
| AITA Boys U-16 | 22 | 19 Jan 2026 |
| AITA Boys U-12 | 117 | 31 Dec 2023 |
“My serve is my greatest strength, but the academy is helping me evolve into a more complete player for the international stage.”
“Kaustubh has a really powerful serve, but we are now working towards greater on-court adaptability and sharpening his backhand for the international stage.”
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