Manas Dhamne: Not just another 17 year old

Imagine being 17 and being amongst the 5 highest ranked U-18 players in the ATP Men’s Ranking. Imagine being 17 and already being among the top 7 highest ranked Indian male tennis players. Imagine being 17 and being the 2nd highest ranked male Indian player ever to win an ITF Futures player. Imagine being 17, grinding it out day in and day out, while living an entire continent away from your family. Tough, right? This is Manas Dhamne for you. Among the rising crop of a new generation of Indian tennis players. A player, who despite being so young, was one of the headline acts of the Bengaluru Open 2025. 

The way Manas Dhamne has been playing, especially over the last couple of years, it’s obvious why there is so much excitement about him. But the author caught a small glimpse of the work that goes into ensuring that the promise is translated into performance. On a hot day in Bengaluru, Manas had 3 separate on court training sessions, each lasting well over an hour. Each session being treated with as much intensity as an actual tennis match. It was already evident how much Manas loves the game of tennis, just watching the passion with which Manas trained. Love for the game was the recurring theme of the interview as well, when Indian Tennis Daily caught up with Manas Dhamne on the sidelines of the Bengaluru Open 2025.

Q. Could you tell us a little bit about how you started your tennis journey?

Manas: So it’s a funny story how I started to play tennis. I was 4 years old and I just liked to sit on the bike and go with my father for a ride around. And that’s what we were doing. He was taking me out for a ride, and I saw some tennis courts, and I just said to him that I want to play.

And so we went there. But the coach said that I was too young for tennis then and that I had to come next year. 

So on the 5th birthday, after the birthday party, I mean, my parents had forgotten about it, but I went to them and I said that the coach had called us to play. So, we went there, but it was closed. So they called JustDial and they recommended one academy which was Solaris. And then we went to Solaris, and they made me pick up balls for 30-40 minutes. I picked up all the balls, and then they asked me to come from the next day. That’s how I started. 

A young Manas with the Maharashtriya Mandal’s Cup

Q. How was your journey from there to winning Eddie Herr under 12? (Manas won the prestigious Eddie Herr u-12 boys championship in 2019)

Actually it was not planned that I’m going to play tennis [professionally]. I just kept playing. I started 3 days a week. I was also managing school. I was in first standard, but still.

Then I started to play some local tournaments, and then I won my first tournament. And then the coach, in Solaris, said that he has really good potential, he can play [tennis seriously], and he likes it also, more importantly. So, he told my parents that I need to start playing more. My parents were fine with it and I just kept going. In 2019, we went to Eddie Herr. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect because it was my first or second time out of India. But,I just went there and just kept playing. And, yeah, I won the tournament. But, honestly, I had nothing in mind. I just went and played, and I think that’s probably one of the reasons I won because I had no pressure and I just played and enjoyed it.

A 11 year old Manas with the Eddie Herr U-12 title in 2019

Q. So you won Eddie Herr, how did Piatti Tennis Centre happen after that? How did you move to Italy?

Manas: So basically my manager recommended me to go to Piatti Tennis Centre because he knows Ricardo [Piatti] as well. It was actually my first time in Europe and my first academy also in Europe.

I went there before COVID, and I really liked it. It was just 8 days, but I was really happy, and I liked it. And, also, they were happy with me. And then COVID came, and I couldn’t go for a year, year and half or something for the visa. But, then I went back and I got the visa and, yeah, I’ve been there since.

Q. How’s your time being at the Piatti Tennis Centre? How has your game improved since you’ve gone there? How’s your experience been overall?

Manas: I mean, after going to the center I’m just focusing on improving. For sure, I’ve improved my physical part, I feel. And the tennis part also, of course. But the tennis part I feel like I am more natural and also, of course, you have to always improve.

But the main goal was fitness and still, of course, is fitness, because I’m very young. I’m just improving, I feel, in all aspects. Tennis, fitness, everything, and, I cannot say, like, just one thing which I improved there because I feel I improved in everything in general.

Q.How has it been as a teenager going to a new country from a mental perspective? And also obviously staying away from family and all that?

Manas: I mean, honestly, I was very excited to go over there when I went the first time. I mean, I honestly thought when I first went, I was 13 at that time, I didn’t think I would miss home that much. But then after one year, I started to miss it a bit. But I mean, it’s a part of it, and it’s okay. I mean, I have my family also over there.  I come once in 6-7 months, if I can. And, yeah, it’s okay. I’m used to it now.

Q. You’ve been playing a lot of ITF Futures tournaments, starting from qualifiers, week in and week out almost. How has that experience been for you physically? How has it helped with your game? 

Manas: I think playing qualifying in ITF Futures helped me a lot. It helped me play a lot more matches, get more confidence. Sometimes if the match was going well enough, I was able to try some new things. I feel like it helped me better understand what to do in matches. I had to play matches almost every day, so it improved my stamina and also my mental strength to go every day and play matches. It has been positive.

Q. I think you played 50 odd matches last year with an amazing win-loss record. How was it physically for you to actually do those many matches? [Manas had already played 29 matches this year at the time of the publishing this article. He played 56 matches in 2024]

Manas: I mean, physically, yeah, of course, in the tournament, if you are playing 5th-6th match from qualifying, then it’s a bit tiring. But, in the end, as the level goes higher, you have to play every week.

So you have to have the mental ability or you have to mentally strong enough to go and play even if you’re tired and try to give 100% even if you’re tired. 

Q. There was a strategy clearly to focus more on Men’s Futures events rather than junior events, what were the reasons behind the strategy?

Manas: Because, I mean, I played three Junior Grand Slams in 2023. I felt I was improving, and we felt that I had the game to maybe, last year not win Futures, but, try to get myself the experience with playing those guys and, maybe also play some qualifying matches and get more matches at that level. It was just like a mutual decision with the coaches and with the team.

Q. How was it winning your first Futures title at Monastir?

Manas: It was a nice feeling, especially to win it from qualifying. I was happy that I was able to maintain my composure during the big matches. And the final I won in 3 sets, after losing the first set pretty easily. So it was a good feeling. Maybe not the greatest because I played with my friend, [Lorenzo Carboni] we practice in the same academy, but I was happy.

Manas with his coach after winning his first Futures title at Monastir

Q. You had to play 3 matches over 2 days because of the rain. How is that again from a physical standpoint?

Manas: I remember on Saturday, I had to play quarters and semis. And in the quarters there was a super tie-breaker in the 3rd set. But still that match was 2 hours 45 minutes, if I remember correctly. And, the player that I beat in the quarters was really physical. I think if it was a full 3rd set, we would have played probably for 3.5 hours. But then I had to play semis again in one hour and I had to play a Spanish player who was really physical as well. So, I was really happy to, more than physically, be able to mentally get through the day and reset for the finals and win the title in three sets.

Q. What does your schedule look like on a daily basis right now in terms of your training and playing?

Manas: Before I went to Monastir and this tournament [Bengaluru Open 2025], I was playing 2 hours of tennis and 2 hours of gym. but it keeps changing. I mean, it depends on the period of the year, and what’s the goal. Maybe in the off season, we do more gym and less tennis. Maybe during the tournament season, more tennis and, of course, also gym, but maybe less, focus. So it depends on the period of the year.

Q. During your off season, what did you focus on? What are you focusing on in terms of improving your game right now?

Manas: Basically, in the off season, I was pushing a lot in the physical part. Also I was trying to improve my net game, which I did, I feel. And, of course, the serve is not that good yet, but it’s getting better. And, we are trying to get stronger.

Q. Is there anything that you’re doing specifically to work on the serve?

Manas: No. Just some technical things.

Q. You’re also juggling school while doing this?

Manas: Yes. I mean, now I’m in the 11th grade. Last year, I passed my 10th grade somehow.

Q. In India?

Manas: In India, yes. 10th grade boards and I think I’ll have to give the 12th grade boards next year.

Q. Now that you’ve entered almost very close to the top 750 in the men’s ranking, what are your plans for the rest of the year in terms of both, men’s circuit as well as junior slams? [U-18 players ranked in the top 750 of the ATP Players’ Ranking can get direct entry to Junior Grand Slams]

Manas: I think probably I’ll play Paris [French Open Boys’]. For the men’s, I’ll play this week and I’ll see how it goes. I think I’ll go back to Futures in Europe when I get back. I don’t know when and which week where. Probably M15 or M25, I don’t know. We’ll see how it goes then, what the rankings are like and maybe in the summer try to get in some Challengers because in Europe there are a lot of Challengers. So maybe the cutoff gets weak and I can enter in qualifying somehow, but we’ll see. I still don’t know too much about the summer.

Q. Are you planning to play Wimbledon and the US Open as well?

Manas: I think mostly Paris for now. Wimbledon and US Open, we’ll take a call after sometime.

Q. What are your goals for 2025? Where do you want to see yourself at the end of the year?

Manas: I mean, honestly, goals, I have, but I don’t think about the goals in terms of I want to achieve this ranking or I want to win this tournament, because then I just put expectations and pressure on myself, which I don’t want. I just want to enjoy and play freely. So my main goal, I would say, is just to improve and try to get better as a player, And then the results will come if you’re a better player today than you were yesterday.

Q. In terms of other Indians who are coming up,  how is it in terms of pushing each other given that a lot of you are in a similar age bracket?

Manas: For sure, it’s great to have so many Indian players doing well. Tomorrow is Aryan vs Karan and unluckily only one of them can qualify. I wish they could have played different opponents so they both had a chance. But in a way, it’s a positive, at least one of them qualifies for sure. I mean, honestly, I focus on myself, but I think in general, it’s great for Indian tennis, not just for ourselves, but in general, for the growth of our Indian tennis.

Q. Last year you practised with Sinner and Wawrinka. How was the experience? 

Manas: Oh, it was great. It’s always fantastic to play with these players. You always learn some things for sure, and they are such nice human beings as well. 

Q. When you were growing up, who were tennis players you looked up to and who inspired you?

Manas: In a way I would say Nadal because it was never easy for him to be at the top. I mean, it was really difficult with the injuries and all that stuff, but he always fought. But for me, my favorite player because of how he played was Djokovic. I like the way he plays and tennis wise, Djokovic, I would say. But with regard to spirit, Nadal I would say.

Q. This is a fun last question because I was asked by my team to ask you this. It’s about your accent. A little bit of Italian, a little bit of Indian. Could you tell us a little about that?
Manas: [Laughs] One time I went to an Indian restaurant in Italy, and there was an Indian lady over there. And with her, I started to talk in an Indian accent. When I talk to an Indian person, I think the Indian accent comes and when I talk to an Italian, because Italians don’t understand the Indian accent, I have to switch even if I don’t want to. I think it just comes naturally. It’s not like I switch a button.