Not afraid of big names: Prarthana Thombare

Prarthana Thombare has come a long way from a small town in Barshi, Solapur, to Hyderabad to ply her skills with the cream of women’s lawn tennis players in India. The 22-year-old travelled distances and sacrificed her childhood to make it big in a sport thought to be for elite people.

Now she will be fighting the cream of women’s doubles talent worldwide including Wimbledon champions, the Williams sisters (Serena and Venus) for glory at the Rio Olympics partnering the queen of Indian tennis Sania Mirza.

The straight-talking Prarthana isn’t vexed by the gravity of the occasion and promises to try to be an ideal partner for Sania in their quest for an Olympic medal.

“We will clash with big names but I am not afraid because I have world no. 1 Sania next to me and I think I am really prepared for it,” she said with confidence.

“There are lot of tough opponents. Serena and Venus together representing USA and (Caroline) Garcia and (Kristina) Mladenovic (of France) who won the French Open. But, I don’t need to worry. When you have world no. 1 playing alongside, you cannot ask for anything better I think.”

Prarthana hasn’t partnered Sania much in tournaments but isn’t worried by that fact. “I practice at Sania’s academy and her father (Imran Mirza) is my coach. We know eachother well and know each other’s game. We have also practiced together. She makes me feel so comfortable and relaxed on the court that there is nio pressure.

“We are together till July 30 in Hyderabad. It is enough time and I think we are reaching Rio on August 1 and our first match is on August 7, so we have one week to adapt to conditions and practice there together,” she said.