Mumbai, Oct. 26 -- In his short but impressive resume, Samir Banerjee's association with two elite global brands stands out. He is the 2021 junior Wimbledon singles champion and earlier this year, he graduated from the prestigious Stanford University, with a degree in science, technology and society.

But as he begins his pro career, he has learnt that tennis is not just about glitz and glamour, world-class facilities and packed stadiums. Earlier this month, the 23-year-old was playing an M25 Futures event on patchwork hard courts in Solapur.

The surface, under the unforgiving October sun, offered fast and uneven bounce. But it was there that he held his nerve, negotiated the conditions, and won his first title after turning professional...