It has been an unforgettable end to the season for Digvijay Pratap Singh. The 25-year-old Chandigarh lad won two titles from three finals in the three back-to-back ITF men’s tournaments in Bhubaneswar, Bhopal and Gwalior.
For someone who had missed about 500 days of tennis owing to ill-health, Digvijay has really rebuilt his tennis career in a superb fashion.
The defining moment in the three tournaments was when Digvijay was staring at defeat at 2-5 in the third set against the top seed Aryan Shah in the semifinals in Gwalior.
Recovery from that position against the 20-year-old Aryan, who was strong with his game and movement, was slim. But Digvijay survived five match-points, and things opened up.
“It was the toughest match in three weeks,” said Digvijay, who trains at Roundglass and is coached by Aditya Sachdeva. “My experience in the past weeks kept me calm and helped play the match without worrying about the result. When you do that, you tend to play the best.”
“When he [Aryan] took one step backward, I was taking two steps forward. Competition brings out the best. “This level of success is unmatched in my career so far. I had never done well in two consecutive weeks, let alone three weeks,” Digvijay pointed out.
Showing mettle
Equally important was the way he competed in the first round in Bhopal against his friend Freek Van Donselaar from the Netherlands, after losing the final in two tie-breaks to S.D. Prajwal Dev in Bhubaneswar the previous week.
“I was a set down, and almost a break down, against my friend but I told myself that I was not done yet,” Digvijay stated. “I was willing to fight and enjoyed the match. It was perhaps that mindset that helped me do well over three weeks. It was also a signal that my hard work was paying off.”
He was not happy losing the final to Prajwal Dev, but Digvijay was understandably proud to have improved on that performance over the next fortnight. In fact, three years ago, Digvijay was inconsolable when he lost the Fenesta National Championship final to Niki Poonacha three years ago. The next year, he lost the final to Manish Sureshkumar.
“The loss to Niki in the National final hurt me a lot as I had three match-points,” Digvijay recalled. “It was hard to digest but that was a breakthrough performance for me then. I did well later and won the title in the ITF event in Delhi.
“I have played tough matches against Niki. It is not pleasant playing him but I have a lot of respect for him. I am happy that he has qualified for the Australian Open [doubles]. I am confident that I would also play the Grand Slams some day,” he added.
Digvijay is prepared to work harder and do whatever it takes to grow in the international circuit.
“After what I had gone through post Davis Cup in 2023, I missed tennis every day. Now, I have the hunger to play and enjoy the challenge. When faced with tough situations in a match, it is like solving a puzzle. I enjoy them. The focus is to keep making the effort and see how things pan out.”
Turning it around
To put things in perspective, Digvijay had a 14-1 win-loss record over three weeks in singles. Before the three tournaments, he was 13-16 for the season. He lost in the first round in the first five tournaments after his return to tennis.
“I have known Digvijay for a long time. He was with us when he reached his best rank. It was no brainer for me when he sought help”, said coach Aditya.
Digvijay’s health issue was absolutely crushing. “I almost had multiple-organ failure. Going to the washroom was a task. I needed my father’s help to do that. It was so bad. When I eventually recovered and trained hard, the coach believed that I deserved the support, and to be sent for tournaments abroad when there were no tournaments at home”, recollected Digvijay.
At one stage, Digvijay told Aditya that he would stop playing and start coaching. The coach assured that he still had a long and bright playing career ahead. Digvijay then travelled to South Africa, Congo, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Angola, Chinese Taipei and Thailand, before the last three tournaments at home in India.
“I am grateful for my current position. I am blessed to have the best people around me. Adi sir kept telling me not to worry about results and to keep playing the matches to the best of my ability. As if all the earlier struggles were not enough, I also had to endure staying away from tournaments for a month owing to an elbow injury after the first few events”, said Digvijay.
“I am happy with how Digvijay has played these three weeks,” said Sachdeva. “I know that he has a big game. He is becoming more solid now. Physically, he still has a long way to go to be ready for the grind of the Challengers. But the next few weeks will form a training block for him. We have the French trainer Gerald Cordemy here. Digvijay and Karan Singh will work with him.”
A tough task master, Aditya understands the nuances of competing at a high level in tennis. “Sport at the higher level is about your toughness and fitness, both physical and mental. It is less about skill. You have to maintain a high standard and can never slow down.
“We knew that he [Digvijay] needed a certain number of matches. He had trained hard and prepared well. It was time to give that exposure and get him the matches at any cost. There were disappointing losses. But we did not back out. We made him travel irrespective of the results. His confidence and performance grew as he knew that he had people caring for him,” opined Sachdeva.
Apart from the long-time coach and Roundglass, Digvijay has also been groomed remarkably well from a very young age by Javier Sansierra and Luis Zapata in Madrid, Spain. It was on an exchange program with Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association (CLTA) that Digvijay first visited Madrid, and that ensured a European exposure.
“Javier is in touch with me every single day,” said Digvijay. “Along with him, Luis Zapata as the coach was very passionate about making me better. I had great trust in them from a young age, and they shaped me as a player and person.
“They did a lot for me. My parents were spending money on me, but Javier and Luis ensured that I got the best deal all the time. My parents were my backbone and these guys understood me when I was struggling to perform,” Digvijay added.
Javier had visited Chandigarh as part of the officiating group for the Davis Cup tie against New Zealand. From that time, the bond has grown stronger for Digvijay.
“I have benefited a lot from my Spanish stint,” he stated. “I had bad technique; was bad at movement; was very erratic and never liked to play more than two shots in a rally. I was impatient and wanted to win the points quick.
“They never tried to change my basic strength, the aggressive attitude. They worked a lot on my game to make it solid. Over ten years, they changed me completely, as a player and person.”
Looking at the road ahead, Digvijay said that he would work hard and improve in every aspect of his game.
“The goal for this year was to play well, be in better competitive shape, and be stronger physically. I will need more strength and power to compete well in the Challengers. I have to improve my defence. The game has become so physical. So I have a lot of things to work on.
“But with time, everything will be done. I have the desire to keep improving. If we work hard and make the effort, results will come,” Digvijay signed off.