Hitesh Chauhan in action at French Open 2025 (Image via X/@asian_tennis)
Hitesh, ranked 83, the last player to make the cut for the junior qualifying draw, which he survived over the weekend, was up against Fredrik Hede, ranked 42. Hitesh, 17 from Ludhiana, who trains with Aditya Sachdev, strikes a big forehand and likes to run around his backhand, he swept to a 4-1 lead in the first set. When the Swede broke the Indian at love in the sixth game it looked like trouble, but Hitesh came back with a strong hold before serving out the set in the tenth game.
Because he serves in the next game, “In the first set I didn’t play a good service game in the sixth game, then I was thinking if he breaks it’s ok, that way I can buy myself some time.
I settled down after that and my level improved,” he said. In the second set, Hitesh broke in the seventh game, going after Fredrik Hede’s backhand, and when the Swede sent one long, the Indian was on the home stretch.