A ‘tennis master’ of all trades

Ajai said the different roles give him more exposure to grow and make a career in the game. “I ventured into coaching as I wanted to stay connected to the game. I was doing summer coaching camps in Besant Nagar Club and then an offer came from PowerPak asking me to join as a coach. I took up the offer in March 2014 and then I took over the entire academy in November 2014,” he said. 

Coaching did not stop Ajai from winning titles as a player. “I play a lot of doubles and I have won more than six titles last year. Playing tennis is my first love and I would want to continue till I can,” the Chennai player added. 

Ajai says his experience as a player helped him mature as a coach. “Playing and coaching are two different things. I would say being a player helped me become a good coach. We can relate to a lot of stuff and we can feel and know the mindset of a player. I got an opportunity to understand a player’s mood and was able to guide them during their tense moments on the court,” Ajai, who has played in the qualifiers of the Chennai Open last year, said. 

The PowerPak Academy that started with a modest 40 kids now has more than 160 kids and around 30 of them are playing in various national and international ITF tournaments and Ajai means business. “We provide reports to all trainees on their performance on a weekly basis and analyse their performance monthly. We also organise inter-club matches on a regular basis so that the trainees get match practice and can learn in real-time situations,” Ajai said. 

Being a tournament director has helped Ajai see how big tournaments are conducted without any hitch. “I see it as a learning experience. It is good to oversee a tournament as I have been a player myself and I know how a player needs his schedule to be worked out. Also, it also acts as a good way to promote my trainees as I can conduct matches in my academy and help my trainees grow,” Ajai added.