Exclusive: My goal is to represent India in the Olympics and win a medal, says Riya Bhatia

India is not just about cricket. Sure, the game remains a top choice for many but a plethora of non-cricket stalwarts have popularised various other sports. Talking about tennis, the game's rise has been spectacular. Of course, the likes of Vijay Amritraj, Jaideep Mukherjee, Leander Paes, and Mahesh Bhupathi were the pioneers of the game, Sania Mirza, Rohan Bopanna, Ramesh Ramanathan, Sumit Nagal, Somdevdev Burman, etc., have given itan extra mileage in the country.

Riya Bhatia is another tennis sensationon the rise. The 25-year-old is making giant strides and has been India's new No. 2 ranked player for quite some time. In addition, she clinched two national titles --hardcourt and grass-court national championships in 2016. Recently, she wasseen playing for the Pro Veri Supersmashersin the ongoing fourth seasonof the Pro Tennis League (PTL) -- a platform for bidding young stars to hone their skills and showcase their credentials -- and ahead of it, WION's Aditya Sahayhad an exclusive interviewwith her.During the interaction,she shed light on her game style,challenges of playing on different surfaces and named her favourites from the big league of players.

How is Pro Tennis League honing the skills of young players?

Add WION as a Preferred Source

I would definitely say it is helping the sport in India. Wish I had something like this when I was a junior. We can mentor juniors and teach them how to play certain points. It's only through such leagues that they can connect with us and vice versa. With Indian people coming and watching us, it's a new format so it's a fun thing for all involved.

How is it for Riya to playon different surfaces?

I'm an all-round player. Changing surfaces isn't a big issue for me. I enjoy playing on all. My favourite is clay but I've been performing well on hard courts. Grass is something close to my heart and I played my best game there at the WTA in Germany and won the national grasscourt. My game is more of an all-round player where I can change my game style according to the court and conditions needed. Certainly, there are many things I've been working on and these leagues (such as the PTL) are a good way to prepare for big tournaments. You get into a zone by playing such leagues and PTL is definitely helpful.

Your big goals going ahead?

I've been No. 2 in India for a very long time. My highest ranking in singles was 300 in internationals and my goal is to go higher than that. To represent India in the Olympics and win a medal. I also want to play some Grand Slams and win big matches over there.

Whose your favourites among the currentleague of players?

I don't want to copy but there is a lot to learn from great players. I've always looked up to Roger Federer.He is always calm. Lots to imbibe from him on how he thinks,moves on the court and creates magic. From women, I absolutely love Ashleigh Barty. I feel my game style is close to hers. She's very aggressive. At the moment, I like to watch a lot of matches of Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek.

While the Pro Veri Supersmashers have had a forgettable run in the ongoing PTL, Riya's career has surely taken off with a lot of promise.