Siddhant Banthia got a wild card into the qualies of the ATP Pune Metropolitan Region Challenger. Siddhant gave a good fight to the former top-40 ATP Pro Jiri Vesely before bowing out with a scoreline of 2-6 3-6 in the qualifiers round 1.
Siddhant is ranked 1239 in singles and is already in the top-250 of the ATP Doubles Rankings. He was ranked as high as 41 as a junior and played all the Junior Grand Slams. Sid played US College Tennis for Wake Forest and turned pro over the last 2 years.
Indian Tennis Daily had an opportunity to speak to him, post his singles match. Excerpts from that conversation below.
Tirtha Mutha: How do you review the match today? Jiri has been a former top-40 ATP player.
Sid Banthia: When I saw the draw yesterday, I knew that I’m up for a big challenge. I was excited for it. Thanks to MSLTA for the wild card, because of them I’m able to play among such good players and I think I deserve to be in this league. Jiri was a tough opponent.
When I went into the match, I knew holding my serve was crucial because Jiri has a very big serve and he plays big from the baseline. So I knew I had to put a lot of balls in and make him work hard for it. Unfortunately, on a couple of the points on my service games, it went the wrong way.
Otherwise I was really happy with the fight I put in. It could have been closer than what I thought it could be.
Tirtha Mutha: You turned pro in mid-2023. How do you review the past one and a half year on tour?
Sid Banthia: Yeah, look, I had a great college experience. I graduated in 2022 and then I’ve been on the pro tour since then and it’s been nice. I’ve had a lot of success on the double circuit and I’m really excited to see what my singles ranking can also be at. I’m feeling better than ever in my singles game and I’m going to push forward to see where my singles ranking is also going to be at this year.
I think good things are supposed to come now.
Tirtha Mutha: So you’re playing doubles with Parikshit Somani. Both of you were teammates in the Indian under 16 Davis cup in 2015. Can you talk about your partnership?
Sid Banthia: Yeah, me and Parikshit go a long way back. We are good friends on and off the court and the chemistry with him has always been very good. We know each other’s games and we’ve already played two challengers in last two weeks and we’re really excited to see what this week can be, for us.
We’re in for a good challenge.
Tirtha Mutha: You’re in top 250 of the ATP Doubles ranking. How are you approaching doubles in terms of a priority?
Sid Banthia: Doubles ranking has been good, as I just said. You know, I’m able to play challengers because of my doubles ranking. But having said that, I’m not only a doubles player, you know, there’s been a lot of misconceptions on it, but I’m focusing on singles also. It’s just that my doubles ranking gives me an advantage to play at the challengers level. But also doubles is a priority for sure because you know as well with singles because, yeah if I can get to play a slam by next year, that would be awesome for me.
At this point I’m trying to focus on both my singles and doubles.
Tirtha Mutha: Can you talk about the team behind you in terms of coach, physio and the academy?
Sid Banthia: I train in Pune at the Bounce Tennis Academy under Kedar Shah. I’ve been with him since I was a junior. The team is great. I had a few coaches coming out. The fitness trainer has been awesome. There’s a lot of things I’m working on right now and I think I’ve worked really hard in the pre season and that’s why I’m feeling better than ever and that’s why I’m really happy for the work we put in as a team. It’s just now time to execute it.
Tirtha Mutha: You have been part of Double Dream of India (DDI) off season camp. How was that exposure?
Sid Banthia: Yeah, thanks to Rohan Bopanna and everyone involved in making the camp possible. I got a lot of insights with the top guys and my doubles game has certainly improved just by playing with them and understanding how the game is developing and evolving and yeah it’s a great opportunity for me to be in that camp.
Hopefully once I’m top 200 this year, I’ll be a part of the DDI as well. I’m looking to make great strides in doubles this year.
Tirtha Mutha: Any goals for 2025?
Sid Banthia: I want to be inside the top 150 doubles, that’s for sure. If I can have a good run in the double circuit, that’d be awesome. And I also want my singles ranking to be at a level where I can ATP challenger qualies at a much rapid pace.
RAPID FIRE
| Hobbies | Singing and playing cricket |
| Favorite travel destination | Bahamas |
| A place that you haven’t been to but would love to visit | I would love to go to Japan just because I’ve heard a lot of good things |
| Favorite cuisine and dish | Mexican – Chipotle in the US Is my favorite |
| Favorite home cooked dish | Bhindi (Okra) |
| Your best win so far and why | Against Ben Shelton in doubles and singles would be Duckhee Lee (KOR) |
| A loss that hurt you the most & why | A loss that hurt me the most I would say. Juniors, Australian Open first round I was up 6-2 5-2 40-0 and that was a heartbreaking loss in my first slam I’ve ever played |
| Who’s the toughest opponent you faced so far | There’s been a few. Jiri Vesely is up there considering how he played today, it’s a big game and I know what what I need to work on. So I think Jiri was up there |
| A song that’s on repeat mode for you right now | Ishq Hai |
| Favorite player | Djokovic & Sabalenka |
| If you weren’t a tennis player, what would you be | Cricketer |
| Funniest thing that’s happened to you on court | I was running for a ball and I was going for a running ball and I slide and my shorts tore |
| What’s the most unusual place you have ever played tennis | Some of the courts I was in when I went to US College were on a running track |