LONDON, July 9: Arnav Paparkar’s dream run at the 2026 Wimbledon Junior Championships came to an end after the Indian teenager suffered a 2-6, 5-7 defeat to the United States’ Jordan Lee in the boys’ singles quarterfinals on Thursday.
Despite the defeat, the 18-year-old from Pune scripted history by becoming the first Indian player in 36 years to reach the Wimbledon boys’ singles quarterfinals since Leander Paes won the junior title in 1990.
Paparkar arrived in the last eight on the back of an outstanding campaign, including one of the biggest upsets of the tournament when he knocked out junior World No. 3 Keaton Hance of the United States 6-2, 6-3.
He then defeated Japan’s Ryo Tabata 6-2, 6-1 to book his maiden Grand Slam junior quarter-final.
Former India Davis Cup captain Anand Amritraj had also praised the youngster’s all-round game during his impressive Wimbledon run.
“Arnav Paparkar is not only in great form but also has a lot of variety. He can attack the net, stay back on the baseline, and keep rallies going with consistent groundstrokes. His movement is sharp, and he reads the game well.”
“He also has good shot selection, knowing when to step in and finish points at the net. On top of that, he is tall and has a strong serve, which gives him easy points and helps him stay out of trouble. He is a complete player with a bright future,” Amritraj said. (IANS)
