TENNIS | Myneni may be older, but the competive spirit still burns bright

Hope springs eternal, so to say. The same goes for Saketh Myneni, who is keen to work his way back in, albeit slowly, and aims to compete in the Grand Slams.

“I love to compete. I love to play and tennis has always been part of it. And I want to compete and I want to do the best, even though like I’m getting older,” he told The Hindu, underlining his desire to keep playing at the highest level.

Though Myneni is not looking too far ahead, the 38-year-old said he wants to make sure he is physically good to go.

“I mean, I want to compete but have to see how my mind and body go. And I want to do my best,” Myneni, who is in the city to take part in the Chennai Open ATP Challenger, said.

Myneni, currently ranked 344 in doubles and paired with compatriot Siddhant Banthia here, said he did not have any plans for the rest of the year as far as a partner goes.

He had in the recent past teamed up with Ramkumar Ramanathan and had a fair degree of success. He, however, felt playing with different partners wasn’t easy.

Asked what keeps him going despite the injury-related issues and being away from the Tour for a while, Myneni said, “it is the passion for the sport.”

“I didn’t play more than four or five tournaments the whole year (2025). So, I want to make sure I get better now. Like hopefully there are no injuries and I stay healthy.”

Though he is done with singles, he is still game to have a go in doubles.