Dubai: Fast-improving Iranian tennis player Amirvala Madanchi could have rested easy after achieving his year-end goal of earning vital ranking points on the ITF circuit.
Far from this, the 18-year-old Dubai-based tennis player has now reset his goals to now focus on breaking into the top-1000 in the world tennis rankings before the end of this year.
“When I set out earlier this summer my goal was to win my first-ranking points, and I did that. And now that that goal has been achieved, it is time for me to re-focus and look towards improving my rankings even further,” Madanchi told Gulf News during a training session at the Elite Tennis Academy run by his coach Jean Francois Danican.
So dedicated is the Dubai-based teenager that he has taken a one-year sabbatical from academics to pursue a career in tennis.
Just three months into this new phase of his life and the results have been good for the 18-year-old.
The three ranking points that he earned while winning at the F1 and F2 ITF Futures in Esfahan, Iran hoisted him up to a career-high singles ranking of 1263 at the beginning of September. At the same time he is currently the highest-ranked tennis player in the entire UAE.
In both tournaments, he lost to Indian Ranjeet Virali Murugesan. But these losses have only put more purpose in his tennis as Madanchi sets out on another couple of Futures to be held in neighbouring Qatar starting on October 1.
“I want to challenge myself and see how far I can go in tennis,” he explained.
“Right now I need to see if I can win a few more matches in these ITF Futures tournaments and get a more points so that I can cross the 1,000 barrier in rankings by the end of the year,” he affirmed.
Come Sunday, when Madanchi takes the short trip along with Danican to the Qatar F2 Futures to be held from October 1 to 7 in Doha, he will keep his new goal at the top of his mind.
The renowned Florida-based Nick Bollettieri has offered Madanchi a scholarship and academies in France and Switzerland have vouched assistance in the player’s development, should he do well.
Besides, a couple of sponsors — local and international — have been keenly following the youngster’s tennis progress.
“I know it’s going to be tough for me,” the youngster admitted.
“But it is possible if he can keep his focus and form,” interjected coach Danican.
“The target is to ensure he has at least four to five Futures under his belt by the end of the year and the rest will follow,” he confided.
