By: Noah Jaeger Bruehl

One of the smallest teams in the Westborough High School athletics program yet with one of the biggest stars in the school, senior Sumukh Pathi and the Boy’s Tennis team are both recapping a memorable and historic season. With two State Individual Championships in a row for Pathi and a State Team Championship for the first time, he hopes to continue the streak into next season.

“Obviously, I enjoyed winning  individuals, but the team championship was definitely more special and rewarding. It doesn’t compare at all. Playing for a team just took it to another level,” states Pathi. After two failed attempts to win in the finals in the past two years, the Rangers were able to take down Lexington 3-2 to win last June.

As for the State Champ, Pathi went into the individual tournament last season knowing challenges were still prevalent. In the district finals, a three-set win against teammate Alan Dubrovsky, a former senior at Westborough High School, led Pathi into the state level of the competition. He won the state championship in two sets, capping off his most successful season so far.

Though Pathi puts in countless hours in training during the offseason and regular three hours practices during the season, he credits a lot his success to his mental strategy. “The mental part of the game is super important. I mean bad habits and bad emotions can lose you the match. I’m always thinking about the next point.”

Pathi has sometimes played four hour matches and in order to prepare for any match, he has a list of things to do. “Hydration, stretching, eating foods with protein before hand, and focusing on the match with music help me prepare.” Though he plays singles for Westborough, Pathi likes the fun of doubles, but the competitiveness and the individual play of singles.

Playing tennis since he was six, Pathi credits his parents for instilling humble values and starting his career when they suggested the sport of tennis. He says they come to a lot of his matches and are very supportive which motivates him to work even harder.

The senior’s hard work and humility show on and off the court. When asked what are his strongest aspects of his game, Pathi said that his mental game and work ethic are really solid. Pathi had also pointed out areas where he has  to improve his game: “I’m always working on being more aggressive with my shots and just hitting harder. A bigger serve is always something I’m working on also.”

During a match, Pathi never boasts about a specific shot knowing there is always another point to be won. After his match is finished, Pathi is always cheering on his teammates and supporting others. With so much of his time dedicated to tennis, Pathi has always kept school as a top priority and has learned to manage his time well.

Pathi has reached the top 300 in the U.S. rankings for his age group and top 20 in New England. Along with the two individual state championships and the latest team trophy, he has also participated in numerous tournaments around the country. He was a part of the New England team where the top twelve players of the region play against other parts of the country.

Though tennis might not be one of the most popular sports in the country, Pathi wants more people to become aware of the game. He hopes that almost every high school could have a tennis team and that the way to make the game more popular is through younger kids picking it up.

After high school, the 2016 state champ hopes to play in college, “probably Division 3.” Though Sumukh Pathi may be  one of the top players in the state and the country, his lack of arrogance and rather his abundance of encouragement for others make him a top class player.