I'm just trying to do the right things every single day: Rithvik Bollipalli

In an exclusive conversation with Deccan Chronicle, Rithvik says he 'does small things right, even though they're not crazy tough, but just to keep up with the discipline.'

How was your hometown of Hyderabad shaped your career?
I think I've just grown up playing with a lot of my close friends and the weather is great to play tennis. It's definitely a good city to play tennis in because of the infrastructure and everything as a whole in this big cities in India. So yeah, I'm grateful that I'm there. I'm from Hyderabad and I'm always excited to go back there as well.

Winning your first ATP title at the Almaty Open must have been a monumental moment. Can you walk me through the thrilling final match?
I just couldn't believe it for the next couple of days. I mean, this is the biggest title I've won in my life and surely without any doubt the best moment I've had in my life as well. And yeah, for me, my partner and I that week was one of the biggest weeks. So yeah, I mean, I'll never forget that.

How does it feel to represent Chennai Smashers in the TPL and what are your goals for the season?
Yeah, I mean, we just try to go out there and compete as hard as we can and have fun at the same time because this is a quick format. And yeah, like my goals for the season is to just keep improving as a tennis player and yeah, just keep building.

How do you handle intense pressure of professional tournaments and maintain your composure during critical moments?
I'm just trying to do the right things every single day, do the small things right, even though they're not crazy tough, but just to keep up with the discipline.

The TPL has a distinct team format compared to traditional tournaments. How do you adapt your strategy for this league?
I think that's a tough question to answer because it depends a lot on our teammates and you know, I'm also playing with new teammates, so we need to adapt to probably get a couple of matches in. So the first couple of days, then we are probably sorting out what to do in the tight situation.