Who is 18 year-old Indian Arnav Paparkar, who stunned World no.3 at Wimbledon?
3 min readUpdated: Jul 8, 2026 07:39 PM ITF Junior World No. 19 Arnav Paparkar on Wednesday became the first Indian in 36 years to reach the quarterfinal of the Wimbledon Juniors Boys’ Singles with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Japan’s Ryo Tabata. The 18-year-old has joined some elite company in Indian tennis hory with the last player from the country to reach this stage being Leander Paes in 1990. Earlier, Paparkar had raised eyebrows with a stunning 6-2, 6-3 win over junior World No.3, Keaton Hance, of the United States.
Standing just over six feet tall, Paparkar had told the Indian Tennis Daily earlier this year that he sees his first serve as his primary weapon. His strengths came good for him against Hance, as he had another strong showing, serving six aces, saving all the breakpoints he faced while conceding only 18 points on serve. This monstrous performance helped him record the biggest win of his career so far.
A trainee at Hemant Bendrey Tennis Academy under the guidance of coach Prosonjit Paul, Paparkar studied Hance’s first round performance and exploited his weak points in the game when got the chance to do so.
He is supported the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) and the Mahatennis Foundation, as he is also a recipient of government aid through the “Mission Lakshyvedh” initiative and has long-term corporate sponsorship from Aryan Pumps.
Love For Sport
Born in a non-sporting family, Paparkar’s passion for tennis came as a blessing from disguise. “I love sports. I used to play whatever I could, table tennis, swimming, cricket, football,” he is quoted as saying TOI. “There was a tennis court right beside the place I used to go to swim, and I hung around and watched the tennis. Then, when I was 6 years old, the coach told me to join and I started playing tennis.”
Keeping his obsession with the sport in sight and recognizing his talent, Arnav’s parents invested heavily in his growth as they funded his international tournament travel and sponsored training drills in Spain to prepare him for global standards.
Being a massive football fan, the 2008 born is known for studying his opponents closely, and tucks away notes from their performances to use it to his own advantage on matchups.Story continues below this ad
Major Milestones
Paparkar’s first major breakthrou hgh arrived in 2023 at the prestigious Australian Open Under-14 Asia-Pacific Elite Trophy in Melbourne. Later that year, he became the National u-16 champion in Kolhapur, entering as a wildcard qualifier.
He made his ATP Challenger debut on his 16th birthday in 2024, as he was given the entry as a wildcard.
He captured his first major international junior titles, including the ITF J60 Manama in Bahrain and the J200 Kuala Lumpur in 2025.
He was crowned the AITA Boys Under-18 National No. 1 player in January, keeping his place on the top for 21 consecutive weeks. He reached the 3rd round of the Roland Garros Junior Championships 2026, which took him into the global Top 20.Story continues below this ad
Written Madhav Sachdeva, an intern with the online sports desk
