New Delhi:Arnav Paparkar's historic run in the Wimbledon boys' singles ended with a heartbreaking defeat to Jordan Lee at Court 18. Paparkar was the first Indian to have made it to the quarterfinals at the boys' singles in the SW19 in the last 36 years, marking a memorable run.
This also earned him the plaudits of a former India tennis icon. Paparkar lost the quarterfinal in an hour and 14 minutes 2-6, 5-7. The Indian couldn't do much in the first set, he was leading in the second set 3-1, before his American opponent staged a comeback to level things 3-3 before leading 4-3 and not allowing the Indian to mount a comeback as he wrapped things up in the 12th game 7-5.
Paparkar reflects on his quarterfinal appearanceThe 16-year-old beat Japan's Ryo Tabata 6-2, 6-2 in the third round to reach the historic quarter-finals. Paparkar was back to being a quarterfinalist at the All England Club. “I am very happy with this win against Ryo Tabata,” Paparkar said on JioStar. I had lost to him twice before so it feels great to finally get the win. And this is my first quarterfinal at a Grand Slam and to get there at Wimbledon makes it even more special. "I'm really looking forward to the rounds ahead."
“This was the toughest match I have played so far in this tournament,” he said of beating an opponent who was fighting an injury. It doesn’t show on the scoreline but he was carrying an injury and it is really difficult to play against an injured opponent because a lot of things keep playing in your mind. “You start to think he's struggling. That can make you lose concentration. You get a little relaxed, but you lose the momentum and your intensity drops. In tennis, everything can change.
Vijay Amritraj praises Arnav PaparkarMeanwhile, former India tennis star Vijay Amritraj praised Paparkar and his style of play. Arnav Paparkar is in great form and has a lot of variety too. He can go to the net, stay on the baseline and keep rallies going with solid groundstrokes. He moves well, reads the game well. He has good shot selection too, knowing when to step in and finish points at the net. He’s also tall and has a big serve that can get him easy points and keep him out of trouble. "He's a complete player and he has a very bright future," he said.
Who is Arnav Paparkar? Know about himPaparkar is a young tennis star who made history by reaching the Wimbledon quarter finals. Paparkar, who hails from Pune, Maharashtra, started playing tennis at the age of six. He gained junior ITF titles in Bahrain (J60 Manama) and Malaysia (J200 Kuala Lumpur) and made it to the third round of the 2026 French Open juniors prior to his run at Wimbledon. The ITF describes him as a right-handed player who prefers hard courts and achieved a career-high ITF junior ranking of No. 14 in June 2026.
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