2 weeks Ago By Pat Ruff
ROCHESTER — Brown University made it immediately obvious its interest in Rochester Mayo tennis star Tej Bhagra. On the first day that it was within the NCAA rules to contact last season’s state singles champion, Brown head coach Alex Kasarov did just that. ADVERTISEMENT That was June 15.
Kasarov stayed in steady contact with the Mayo junior ever since. Today, Nov. 3, Bhagra showed how equally interested he is in Brown.
He did it with a verbal commitment to its Division I tennis program. Bhagra sees it as a perfect fit. Also a star student, Bhagra — the son of Mayo doctors Sumit and Anjali Bhagra — believes the Ivy League school located in Providence, Rhode Island, can give him exactly what he wants in a college experience.
“I was shooting for a good academic and athletic experience,” said Bhagra, who turned down a number of other Division I tennis programs. “And in the end, Brown wanted me the most. And I sure wanted them.
There was very high interest between us both.” Bhagra visited Brown in early October. He already knew how impressive its academic programs were.
But he came away also feeling great about what he saw from its tennis program. Bhagra liked the seriousness with which Kasarov runs things and the intensity of its players. “I love the team and the coaches at Brown,” Bhagra said.
“They were tough on the team. It’s going to be a tough environment. But in going there, it’s going to allow me to keep growing my tennis game and get a world-class education.
” ADVERTISEMENT Bhagra is coming off a sterling last half a year of tennis. On June 7, he won the state singles title, beating Wayzata’s Aaron Beduhn 6-4, 6-4 in the championship. That capped an unbeaten high school season for Bhagra, finishing 29-0.
That was followed by him showing off his game nationally. In early June, he competed in the Clay Court National Championships in Delray Beach, Fla. Though just 16 at the time, Bhagra bumped himself up to the 18-under division.
It went extremely well, the deft, quick and tenacious Bhagra making it to the Round of 16. In August, he took part in the National Hardcourt Championships in Kalamazoo, Mich. There, he advanced to the quarterfinals of the consolation round.
Add it all up, and it’s made Bhagra a five-star recruit and ranked 31st nationally among the class of 2026. The attention and success also has driven him. He yearns to get better.
“I’m pleased with the results, but I also picked up some things to work on,” Bhagra said. “I’m working at just feeling more comfortable on the offensive side of things, staying in the rally and not fading back so much. I know that sometimes I rely too much on my defense.
I love to chase down balls and defend as much as I can. But it’s nice to have offense, too.” Now that his college decision has been made, Bhagra feels as if a weight has been lifted.
ADVERTISEMENT “It feels good to have it out of the way,” he said. “It will be nice now to play and practice and feel loose. I feel like this is a nice step in the right direction.
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