Member Spotlight December 2025

If you’ve spent any time around the courts lately, there’s a good chance you’ve seen Prateek as well. Usually smiling, always enthusiastic, and often hoping to hit just one more awesom rally. Though he’s a newer face in our community at TCSP, he’s quickly become a familiar and positive presence.

Prateek grew up in Jaipur, India, where his childhood was filled with a variety of sports like cricket, soccer, and badminton. Tennis was something he had seen and admired from afar. Especially inspired by watching Serena Williams and Roger Federer, Prateek found himself picking up a racket to start his own tennis journey in April 2024. After his girlfriend suggested they try playing together, he joined his first beginner lesson… and the rest is history. “Since then, I’ve completely fallen in love with the sport,” he shared.

Like many new players who catch the tennis bug, Prateek dove in headfirst. But the excitement came with a lesson: balance matters. “I stopped doing the strength workouts I used to do, and over the year I’ve had a couple of small injuries,” he said. “I learned that playing more isn’t always playing better, and taking care of my body is part of the sport.” It’s the kind of reflective mindset that shows his passion, humility, and wholistic view of sport.

The mental side of tennis has also become one of his biggest teachers. In daily life, like on the court, he’s learning to stay present — one point at a time. “It’s easy to get lost in thoughts or stress during the day, but tennis keeps reminding me to focus on the moment instead of worrying about perfection,” he said. A lesson I think is integral to understanding oneself as well as how you deal with stress and pressure in the moment.

When he’s not on court, Prateek loves spending time outside with his girlfriend and on walks with their dog, Malachite, or out on a hiking trail where he feels most at ease. Nature is his “reset button” as it is for many of us in the PNW.

What keeps him coming back to TCSP? The people. “Everyone—from the coaches to the players to the staff—has been genuinely kind and welcoming,” he said. “That makes it really easy to feel part of a community.” And that sense of connection seems to come naturally to him; he’s the kind of player who enjoys talking about whatever he’s working on in his tennis journey, especially if someone asks what’s been exciting him lately.

We’re grateful to have Prateek as part of our TCSP community. If you see him around the courts, say hello—you might just walk away with a new hitting partner and a reminder to savor the moment, one point at a time.