After a complex and competitive season, especially with the strong probability that a season was not even going to happen, Sumedh Edavalluri and the Pines Charter Tennis team did their thing, getting their trophy collection started. Sumedh himself went through a lot of sacrifice and practice to get where he is today as the 2021 District 5A Solo Champion. In this Sports-Student Life collaboration special, we take a closer look at Sumedh’s journey all the way to the top, on and off the court.

   Born on November 9,2004, Sumedh’s childhood was relaxing to say the least. His parents did not want him to pressure himself, as it would prevent an enjoyable life. Unlike the majority of students at Charter, Sumedh wasn’t always in the Charter system. He spent his first 3 years of elementary at Somerset Academy. Sumedh had multiple friends who went there and said it was a really good school. Moreover, his parents heard similar opinions about the school. That being said, Sumedh got into the system during his fourth grade year. 

   Around the same time, Sumedh was introduced to the sport he now has true passion for. His love for tennis came from his dad, who also happens to be Sumedh’s trainer. “My dad and I went to go watch the Miami Open, which is a pro tennis event,” he said, “and from then I got inspired.” As he practiced more and more, his love for the game grew stronger as well.

   Growing up, Sumedh life was truly looking up and wasn’t too problematic. That was until one of his close friend’s mom passed away. Initially, Sumedh didn’t think it would hinder too much. Over time, however, it eventually hit him. It caused him to find a stronger appreciation for his parents and close relatives. He learned not to take them for granted because it is never truly known how long they’ll be here. Sumedh’s parents love him and push him everyday to become the best version of himself. 

   So far, this has been working. At the moment, Sumedh is already in the top 5% of his class, taking on some of the hardest classes at Charter. To be more specific, Sumedh, as a sophomore, is taking AP Calculus AB. It can be agreed that this class is one of, if not the hardest classes at the school. Still, Sumedh is taking it head-first. “It requires a lot of time, and I train a minimum of 2 hours a day,” he says,” It’s really hard to manage that math class and my 4 other ap/aice classes. Every day it’s the same routine, either homework or training, but it’s for my future.” 

   As one can tell, Sumedh is putting himself through a lot for his future success. As mentioned before, he still makes time for tennis and it has already paid off. 

   During the regular season, Sumedh only lost one match, against the #1 ranked player, who was a Senior from St.Thomas. Later on, during districts, this same person was the first seed, while Sumedh was the second seed. They got the rematch everyone asked for in the district final and Sumedh got his revenge, winning the big trophy seen in the picture.

   Even though the season is over, Sumedh is far from finished. The future for Sumedh is brighter than ever, whether it be in the small perimeters of the classroom or the large lines of a tennis court.