In the history of Arizona women’s tennis, Banni Redhair is the only Tucson native to win both a high school state championship and achieve All-American honors.
UA freshman and five-star recruit Tanvi Narendran, the 2022 D-1 AIA state singles champion from University High School, wants to stamp her name on that list.
“My goal was to be the state champion. I didn’t fully believe in it, but in the end, I got there and that felt really good,” Narendran said.
“So now I’m not even ranked, I’m a freshman and I’m saying my goal is to be an All-American. And because I’ve achieved (a) goal like that before, I know it’s possible. I’m gonna put everything I can towards that.”
Arizona (3-1) hosts Florida Atlantic, Fresno State and NAU in matches slated for Friday and Saturday.
Narendran not only wants to chase championships and awards at her new school but also wants to inspire the next generation of Tucsonans who want to accomplish their own dreams.
“It’s great to be able to represent Tucson,” Narendran said. “Everything that I’ve achieved is a product of my town. I feel really grateful to be able to keep representing my town, and I hope others can do the same.”
Narendran hasn’t always been in the top ranks as a tennis player. She had to earn her way into lineups early on in high school before finally hitting her stride as a junior. She would go undefeated throughout the rest of her prep career.
“I wasn’t one of the strongest tennis players as a freshman in high school,” Narendran said. “There were a lot of girls ahead of me, but I didn’t give up, I kept trying my hardest, and in the end I was able to play here.
“Right now I’m not the top player on my team. But I want to do the same thing (I did in high school), and I want to be remembered for my perseverance.”
Narendran learned the game her father, former tennis player Naren Shanmugavelu.
“He’s definitely played a really big role in my life,” Narendran said. “I would definitely accredit where I am now to him. I wouldn’t even play tennis if it weren’t for him.”
Student-athletes typically face a difficult adjustment as college freshmen. However, even as a STEM and neurology major with rigorous math and science courses, Narendran said she settled in comfortably within the first month of fall classes and practices.
Narendran didn’t stop at being comfortable, though. She decided to sprinkle the “student” into the “athlete” on the tennis court.
“I think neuroscience and understanding how you think can help you in anything,” Narendran said. “I recently discovered that I’m a very auditory learner, and most people are visual learners. So when the coaches are showing people things, other people can just watch him do something and replicate it.
“It’s not like that (for me). I need to hear it. “
As a local product, Narendran has known UA coach Ryan Stotland for several years. That also made for a smooth transition.
“I think it really did help me because I felt more comfortable talking to him,” Narendran said. “There wasn’t really any sort of communication barrier right from the start. He knew me, he knew my game.
“He’d seen me play a lot, which made it easier for him to help me get better and easier for me to communicate with him.”
Stotland has seen vast improvement from Narendran since he first started communicating with her when he became head coach in 2018. She has a 4-1 record in singles and a 1-2 mark in doubles.
“It’s really cool to see her growing up before our eyes and understanding new concepts,” Stotland said.
“She’s always looking for ways to get better. She’s learning a lot of life lessons and lessons on the court. But she’s bringing all of those tools, and we’re excited to see where she can get to.”
Here are some of the most iconic moments from the Australian Open's over 100 years of history, according to 'Newsweek.'. 1987, Edberg vs. Cash, This was the last match to be played on a grass court at the Australian Open.
