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‘I watched Nadal and Djokovic a lot’: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi reveals where his fascination with tennis began

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi revealed his admiration for Nadal and Djokovic, backed Sinner and shared his Wimbledon final experience alongisde Abhishek Sharma.

Updated on: Jul 13, 2026, 07:02:13 IST
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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s eventful tour of England received a memorable off-field addition on Sunday as the 15-year-old Indian batting sensation attended the Wimbledon 2026 men’s singles final at the All England Club.

Vaibhav Sooryvanshi was present to watch the Wimbledon final. (Rajasthan Royals X)
Vaibhav Sooryvanshi was present to watch the Wimbledon final. (Rajasthan Royals X)

Sooryavanshi was joined by India opener Abhishek Sharma and former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh at Centre Court, where defending champion Jannik Sinner faced Alexander Zverev for the prestigious title.

The visit came shortly after Sooryavanshi completed his maiden international series for India. The left-handed opener made his senior debut during the T20I series against England, becoming the youngest player to represent India at the international level at the age of 15 years and 99 days.

After experiencing international cricket for the first time, Sooryavanshi was keen to observe how two leading tennis players dealt with the pressure and expectations surrounding a major final.

“It is my first time here. I will watch the final and see how the players perform in such a big match,” Sooryavanshi said during an interaction with the broadcasters.

However, Sooryavanshi revealed that there was no elaborate planning behind the outfit.

“I did not plan anything. We were in a hurry, so I arranged whatever I could find. Abhishek bhaiya helped me put everything together, and then I wore it,” he said with a smile.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi names his favourite tennis stars

Although his own rapid rise has taken place in cricket, Sooryavanshi revealed that he has been following tennis for the past four or five years. Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were the two players who initially caught his attention, with the Serbian great eventually emerging as his favourite. “I used to watch Nadal and Djokovic a lot. Now I like Djokovic the most, but I followed both of them,” Sooryavanshi said.

Djokovic’s pursuit of another Wimbledon crown had ended in the semi-finals, where he was beaten by Sinner in straight sets. Asked which player from tennis’ younger generation had impressed him, Sooryavanshi mentioned Carlos Alcaraz before praising Sinner’s performances during the tournament. “I like Alcaraz, but he is not in this tournament. From what I have followed here, I liked the way Sinner dominated. Hopefully, he will win today,” he said.

Sooryavanshi’s prediction proved accurate as Sinner recovered from losing the opening set to defeat Zverev 6-7(7), 7-6(2), 6-3, 6-4. The victory gave the Italian his second consecutive Wimbledon men’s singles crown and his fifth Grand Slam title.

Also Read: Team India guilty of ‘succumbing to social media pressure’ in giving debut to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: ‘Whose fault?

The Indian youngster was also asked which cricketer he would select as his partner if he were to play tennis doubles. His answer was unsurprising. “I have already mentioned Abhishek bhaiya. He is my opening partner in cricket, so I would choose him here as well,” Sooryavanshi said.

The Wimbledon appearance followed an extraordinary few months for Sooryavanshi. He earned his maiden India call-up after finishing IPL 2026 as the tournament’s leading run-scorer, amassing 776 runs in 16 matches and becoming the youngest Orange Cap winner. He also struck a record 72 sixes during the season and finished with a strike rate of 237.30.

From dominating bowling attacks in the IPL to making his international debut and watching one of world sport’s most celebrated finals from Centre Court, Sooryavanshi’s remarkable year continues to gather memorable experiences.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Probuddha Bhattacharjee

Probuddha Bhattacharjee is a sports writer and analyst with expertise spanning cricket, football, and multi-sport events, with a strong emphasis on data-driven journalism and tactical storytelling. He currently focuses on international cricket, the Indian Premier League, global tournaments, and emerging trends shaping modern sport, blending advanced statistics with strong narrative context to explain performance, strategy, and decision-making. His work aims to bridge the gap between numbers and storytelling, helping readers understand not just what happened on the field, but the tactical and structural reasons behind it. Trained in data journalism through the Google News Initiative (GNI) Data Journalism Lab, Probuddha works extensively with ball-by-ball datasets, performance metrics, and trend-based modelling to produce evidence-backed reports, explainers, and long-form features. His analytical approach focuses not only on outcomes but also on process—selection strategies, phase-wise tactics, workload management, and the influence of preparation and planning on match results. He is particularly interested in how statistical patterns reshape conventional cricketing narratives and provide clearer tactical insight for modern audiences. Beyond cricket, Probuddha has written analytical and news-driven pieces on football and other major sporting events, with a growing interest in sports governance, scheduling dynamics, and the economics of elite competitions. He also tracks how rule changes, franchise structures, and broadcast pressures influence the evolution of contemporary sport. He has previously contributed to platforms such as OneCricket, Sportskeeda, and CrickTracker, and continues to specialise in analytical storytelling, live coverage, and audience-focused reporting. His work prioritises clarity, context, and credibility, while consistently exploring innovative ways to present data through accessible narratives and structured match analysis.

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