Cutting through: The path to Europe's top tennis academies

New generation of Indian players, from Maaya to Manas, are learning the tricks of the trade overseas

- Rutvick Mehta

MUMBAI: Maaya Rajeshwaran's creditable run to the WTA L&T Mumbai Open semifinal began with a call from the organisers for a qualifying wildcard. The Indian teen's pathway to landing at one of the world's premier tennis academies later this month began with an email.

Late last year, the inbox of her mother Revathi had an unusual sender - Rafa Nadal Academy. It mentioned their interest in recruiting Maaya, and inquired whether the Indian could come down to the Spanish island of Mallorca for trials. "It came out of the blue for us," Revathi said. "But, obviously, someone (from the academy) would have spotted her somewhere."

Behind the densely populated expanse of junior tennis in which hundreds and thousands of budding pros like Maaya grind, lies this exercise of spotting and scooping the cream of talent from it and trickling them into top academies around the globe. It forms the backbone to the most renowned academies that churn out some of the most polished pros - Rafa Nadal Academy, Piatti Tennis Center, Mouratoglou Academy and the Nick Bollettieri Academy, to name a few.