Mason's Gogineni prepares for Cincinnati Open debut
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Vignesh Gogineni is seen ahead of his first Cincinnati Open appearance. Photo: Casey Weldon/Axios
Vignesh Gogineni spent past summers at the Cincinnati Open hitting balls as a practice partner with the likes of Novak Djokovic and reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz.
Now the 22-year-old Mason native gets his own spot on the court.
Why it matters: Gogineni will make his professional tour debut Tuesday, chasing his pro tennis dream in the hometown where it started.
- The former Comet and Yale graduate is one of four locals (along with JJ Wolf, Caty McNally and Peyton Stearns) in the field that features the best players in the world.
Flashback: Gogineni started playing tennis around age 5 and attending the tournament at around 6.
- "This is where I fell in love with the sport," he tells Axios.
- As a high schooler, Gogineni became a tournament hitting partner for the pros — an experience he remembers as "very nerve-wracking."
Zoom in: He's already had one storybook ending here.
- Gogineni won an Ohio singles state championship on Court 3 as a senior, in front of friends and family.
They're coming back and his Yale coach is flying in, too.
- The ticket requests? "Too many," Gogineni jokes. "I told them the tickets aren't that expensive."
What she's saying: His mom, Smitha Sadineni, didn't expect this opportunity so soon.
- Gogineni only decided during his final semester at Yale to give pro tennis a real shot after graduation.
- "Tennis is his dream," Sadineni tells Axios. "He's giving everything to chase that and we are so proud of him."
Between the lines: Former pro Henry Bunis, who's coached Gogineni since he was 14, sat alongside Sadineni on Court 8 Sunday watching him practice.
- "It's great to see," Bunis tells Axios. "He's improved immensely over the last few weeks."
His game: Quick and aggressive, Bunis says, with an emphasis on charging the net instead of getting sucked into a baseline slugfest.
- It's clicking: Gogineni won his first pro title this month in Edwardsville, Illinois, vaulting 327 spots in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) rankings.
- "He wasn't utilizing his talents," Bunis says, "and now I think he is."
The intrigue: Gogineni is already inspiring Mason's next generation.
- Greg Bernadsky, a two-time state singles champion at Mason who's hit with Gogineni this week, calls him a mentor.
- Having watched Gogineni's work ethic on and off the court makes Bernadsky – a Cornell commit – "want to be a better player and person myself."
What's next: Gogineni's goal for his hometown debut is to leave the court with "no regret."
- "I want to think I performed well, I fought well, I competed hard," he says. "I think that's the most important thing for me, regardless of the result."