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Ravi Anantaraman: The Face Behind Sun Tennis Center
Written by Sohini Singh, Founder and Editor-in-Chief
Ravi Anantaraman has been the owner of Sun Tennis Center since 2002 and he has been playing and coaching tennis for the past 44 years. He began his tennis journey in his early 20s and has been continuing ever since. Moving to Roanoke in 1993, Ravi learned to navigate the diverse roles of being a tennis player, coach, and business owner, as it was a different experience from when he was growing up in India. Ravi spent three years designing and building this facility from scratch, turning his abstract vision into a successful reality. Ravi’s desire to have a place to come for tennis lessons and practice without membership restrictions and massive fees was not offered in the Roanoke Valley at the time. He wanted a space where people could come to play indoor tennis without having to commit to every session and people would have a great deal of flexibility regarding their preferred time of play. Roshni Sriram, a senior at Cave Spring High School, shared, “Sun Tennis is unique from other places I’ve played at because you don’t need a membership or anything to play there”. Roshni noted how communication with Ravi to book a court time is a quick and easy process for people wanting to play tennis at the center.
When asked about the most rewarding part of the coaching experience, Ravi loves when his athletes improve, regardless of age or skill level. Ravi shared, “Nothing makes a teacher happier than seeing one of their students improve”. He believes it is a nice thing to be able to witness, espcially being both a tennis player and coach. Roshni mentioned, “His coaching style is very hands-on in the sense that he doesn’t just feed you balls and tell you what to do all the time. Instead, he will always play points with you, teaching you from a player’s perspective”. She mentioned how Ravi knows when to be playful and joke around and when to be serious, offering a perfect balance for the player to learn the game.
Picture of Ravi playing tennis.
His unique coaching method involves matching players based on age, skill level, and motivation in order to determine which group is the best fit for the individual athlete. Ravi explained, “...after a little trial and error, you get to know where each player fits best”.
Ravi’s biggest piece of advice for people wanting to pursue their passions is one simple word. Resilience. He recommends that people be committed to their passion, whether that is a sport or activity, and stick with it even when it gets tough. Roshni said, “All his advice regarding the mental aspects of tennis really changed my perspective on how to carry myself while playing”. Ravi advises people to set aside time and be committed to their passion. Overall, Ravi’s story of playing and coaching tennis inspires people in our town every day.
Roshni playing a tennis match.
Previosuly, Sun Tennis had a wide variety of racket, shoes, and apparel options for athletes looking to purchase new gear; in the more recent years, Ravi has moved away from retailing and more to providing the best possible tennis lessons and practice for aspiring athletes ready to challenge themselves, including hosting weekly tennis tournaments and clinics for different divisions.