Somdev unplugged

At 25, Somdev Dev Varman is Indian tennis' hottest property. This player from the North East is considered as the brightest prospect for the nation after stalwarts Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi.



In September 2009, Somdev proved his mettle in the arduous five-setter against South Africa's Rik De Voest to secure a berth for India in Davis Cup World Group. CS caught up with this descendent of Tripura's royal family to know more about his journey so far:

The tennis bugu00a0
As a kid, I wanted to become an athlete. However, when I was eight years old, my father got transferred to Chennai. There I got introduced to the sport at the Britannia Amritraj Tennis Academy, where I got better and better. I played in India till I was 19, and then moved to the US to further my education and tennis career.

What motivates me
Tennis is extremely challenging. I love it, it's my life. This is what motivates me, the very idea of getting onto the court, and hitting the balls gives me a kick.u00a0

My icon
I absolutely love Roger Federer. He's the greatest player of all time. Federer has the most complete game.u00a0
Off court persona
I am a pretty regular guy off court. Music is one of my passions, I play the guitar and love Carnatic, rock and jazz music. I have a degree in sociology from the University of Virginia.u00a0

Fact sheet
>>u00a0He was the national under-14 champion
>>u00a0Won the National Collegiate Association America's singles title twice in 2007-2008
>>u00a0He was the only Indian to reach the final of the Chennai ATP event in 2009 bettering Leander Paes' semi-final record
>>u00a0Has defeated players like Carlos Moya and Ivan Karlovic
>>u00a0He qualified for the US Open this year for the men's singles draw