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India's rising tennis sensation Ishaque Eqbal, who idolises Roger Federer, acknowledged the challenges associated with finding sponsors to compete and play in the tournaments.
Last week, Eqbal showed his talent alongside his partner, Faisal Qamar and clinched the men's doubles title at the Fenesta Open National Tennis Championship.
"My role model has always been Roger Federer. I would like to give my parents credit for picking up the sport because when we were very young," Eqbal told ANI.
"When we were five, then my family members got us enrolled in tennis, and from there, I started training with my coach, he saw the talent in me. He believed that as a tennis player, I could do well, and from there our coach motivated us from a very young age. So, credit goes to my parents," Eqbal added.
The 26-year-old laid down his short-term goal of competing in the Davis Cup for India and entering the top 100 ATP ranking. However, he is aware of the sponsorship challenges that are ahead of him in competing in top tournaments.
"My short-term goal is to play Davis Cup for India. Since we do not have many sponsors in India, financially, there are problems for us in competing and playing tournaments. So, if we get good sponsorships, then someday I would like to see myself in the top 100 ATP ranking," he added.
Eqbal and Faisal's recent success saw him conquer Fardeen Mohammed and Abhinansu Borthakur 6-0, 6-2 in the men's doubles final to win the title.
Eqbal expressed delight about his recent triumph, which came after five years.
"I am very happy to win the Fenesta National Doubles. The last time I won was in 2019. So, to win this title after five years is great.
"I was losing in finals for the past two years. So, this time I am very happy to win it. I was not going to play in this tournament because I was suffering from an injury for the past two months. So, after practising for the last 4-5 days, I got a go-ahead from my doctor. This was like a comeback tournament for me, and to win a major tournament after a comeback is amazing. I am very happy," Eqbal noted.
While reflecting on his partnership with Faisal, he added, "Me and Faisal have been playing together for quite some time now. We both work in the Indian Navy under sports quota. We have participated in international tournaments together. In 2022, we played together in final here but lost. So, we are happy to win it in 2024."