Mysuru: One would not expect much from a 10-year-old, save for perhaps… excellence in studies?
Mustafa M Raj, a 10-year-old from Mysuru, has won a record number of AITA titles in a span of just two years. His outstanding achievements in tennis over the last three years has earned him a month long training scholarship from Rick Macci Tennis Academy, Florida, USA in order to help him develop his skills. He stands the only tennis player from Karnataka to be selected for the training.
His father built him a mini tennis court when he was just 4 years old at their house in Rajeevnagar where he started his early drills. Later, at the age of 5, he joined the Nagaraj Tennis Centre and started his professional training. He has been training with Nagaraj ever since.
Mustafa started playing in tennis tournaments at the age of 6. Competing with older and stronger opponents helped him hone his skills and thought process. He started winning tournaments at the age of 8. He started out playing in non All India Tennis Association (AITA) tournaments held at the club level.
He won his first AITA National U-10 at the age of 8 in January of 2016, and since then, he has won a staggering 21 AITA titles, including a record 10 AITA U-10 titles. Among the 21 AITA titles, 16 are winning titles and 5 are runners-up.
Now, at the age of 10, Mustafa has begun winning in the U-12 category and even gives the boys in the U-14 a run for their money. He has already won 3 AITA U-12 singles titles and an equal number of doubles titles. He also emerged as a runner up in the AITA U-14 category.
His biggest doubles win came in Guwahati, Assam where he won the AITA U-12 doubles Super Series in July 2017.
In November, Mustafa won big in Bengaluru by winning both the singles and the doubles title at the AITA Championship Series U-12 Tournament. He has been the top player in his category in the state of Karnataka since the last 2 years. At the age of 10, he is one of the top talents in the country in his age group.
Speaking to Newskarnataka, Murtuza K Raja, proud father of Mustafa said, “It was my dream that my child would play tennis and reach the top, win the Wimbledon and other Grand Slams and Olympic medals for India. The day Mustafa was born, I made him hold a tiny crystal tennis racquet which was gifted to me by my friend. He has been holding a proper tennis racquet in his hands since he was six months old.”
Mustafa currently studies at Excel Public School. The school has had a pivotal role to play in his progress. In fact Mathew, the principal of the school, was the one who recognised Mustafa’s talent and agreed to offer admission to him in the school.
