Mustafa Khan has always been close to sport. A former tennis and football player, he now finds himself deeply invested in pickleball, a game he plays almost four times a week while balancing work and business.
At the Arena One Open in Kolkata, he is set to test himself across three different categories.
“As of now, I am working; I have a business. I am participating in three categories. I am playing the 35-plus singles, the open singles, and the men’s doubles. So, I will be playing three categories. Before, I used to play tennis and football. Currently, I don’t get to play football very often. So, I play tennis maybe once or twice a month. Paddle I try to play twice a week or so. And pickleball, around three or four times a week,” Khan told Pickleball Now in an exclusive chat.
For Khan, singles came naturally. Transitioning into singles pickleball was easier because I had previously played a lot of singles tennis. But as far as doubles go, it’s a bit of a transition because doubles, once you start playing at an advanced level, then you have to start focusing on your dinking game and the resets and things like that. That is something that doesn’t come very naturally to tennis players. Generally speaking, tennis players struggle with dinking and other aspects of the game. So, still trying to get the hang of it, but getting better.”
Specific tennis skills still help. “The drives and the volleys that we used to do, that works well for singles. But then again, once you start playing doubles, you don’t really get to drive too much. Plus, the volleys, the tennis volley is a bit of a slice. You can do that when you’re playing singles, but when you’re playing doubles, that doesn’t work too much. That is why doubles is a challenge. Singles come a little more naturally.”
At the same time, a process of unlearning has been underway. “For example, in doubles, we need to use our wrists a little more when we play pickleball. Plus, the volleys are more of a drive volley when we’re playing pickleball, it’s like a roll, not a slice volley that we used to do in tennis. Then there’s the dinking game that we do from the kitchen. You need a lot of patience. Additionally, this is a smaller area, so you must ensure the ball drops within the kitchen area. That is also something new for tennis players. So, that’s a bit of a challenge. We have to do a lot of unlearning there. But hopefully, the singles thing is a little easier.”
Looking ahead to the Arena One Open, Khan knows what’s in store. “I’m playing the men’s 35 singles. I just turned 36 this year so that I can play the 35 singles. I’m playing that one, I’m playing the men’s open singles, and I’m playing the open doubles.”
He is also excited about partnerships. “For the doubles, my partner is Rahil. So, we have a good time playing together. That is something I’m looking forward to. Rahil Sangrachka, we play together, and it’s always fun playing with him. Plus, Yash is there. I have a good time playing with him also.”
As for his goals, Khan doesn’t hold back. “I’m hoping I win the 35 singles. I’m hoping I do well in the open singles as well. And since I’ve been practising the doubles pretty frequently with Rahil, and our teamwork has gotten better, I’m hoping that we can challenge some of the best players that might come.”
About Indian Pickleball Association:
The Indian Pickleball Association is the official governing body for pickleball in India and is dedicated to promoting, developing, and organising the sport across the country. The association continues to inspire players of all ages and skill levels to embrace the game through events like the IPA Nationals. IPA is affiliated with the Asian Pickleball Association (APA) and the Global Pickleball Federation (GPF).
About Pickleball World Ranking:
PWR is a national ranking system that spans all age groups, skill divisions, and formats -including singles, doubles, and mixed categories. It serves as the official National Sports Federation Ranking for India. With multiple sanctioned events taking place every week across the country, PWR defines the top Indian players at every level and forms the foundation for team selection at the school, district, state, and national stages.
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