Hopkinton's Priyanka Sundar's Tennis Star is Rising

The tennis world is starting to take notice of Hopkinton resident Priyanka Sundhar.

After establishing herself as one of the top-five, 14-and-under players in New England, Sundhar was recently invited by the United States Tennis Association (USTA) to its national training center in Boca Raton, Fla., for a three-month camp.

 “Getting to play outdoors at this time of the year has been really nice and the competition has been at a very high level,” Sundhar said.

Priyanka has been in Boca Raton since January, accompanied by her mother, Mini.

“I’ve also gotten to see a lot of top players practicing like Melanie Oudin (world No. 61) and Nadia Petrova (world No. 20),” she said.

Introduced to the game at age 4 by her family,  Sundhar began play in local tournaments just two years later. The wins quickly piled up. Sundhar began finding herself competing in big national events across the country.

In addition to playing in national-level, 14-and-under tournaments, Sundhar also competes in 16-and-under and 18-and-under events throughout New England, frequently beating taller and stronger opponents who are several years older. 

The Tennis Recruiting Network ranks her third in her age group nationally, and No. 1 for her age in Massachusetts and New England.

 Her tournament schedule has become so rigorous that she pulled out of last year, and is being home-schooled full time.

 “It wasn’t an easy decision, but it makes playing tournaments easier now because my classes can be coordinated around traveling,” she said.

 A typical day in the life of this seventh grader is action-packed enough to intimidate even the most seasoned workaholics.

During a 90-minute morning practice from 8:30-10, Sundhar works on her footwork and being aggressive with her shots. She then heads home for three hours of academics.

Afterward, she heads back to the court for another two hours before completing her classes for the day and starting her homework.

When her time at the camp ends at the end of March, she will return to her coaches at the Manchester Athletic Club on the North Shore. Ultimately, she hopes to compete against the same top players that she has been watching practice for the last two months.

“I’m just trying to have the best results that I can,” Sundhar said. “Playing college tennis is certainly an option as well, but I hope to turn pro one day. Right now, I’m just focusing on national tournaments for the next few years.”

Sundhar is currently preparing for a national tournament at the end of February in Largo, Fla., before setting her sights on the New England Sectional Championships at Yale University in June.