Fresh off the ATP Challenger doubles title at the SM Krishna Memorial Open in Bengaluru and currently navigating the gruelling ATP Challenger circuit across Europe, city boy Adil Kalyanpur is building a career that stretches beyond rankings and results. With a career-high doubles ranking of World No 258, the tennis player has also carved out a second identity as an English rapper, using music to explore mental health, gender justice, personal growth and social change.
Excerpts
What made you feel the need to find a voice beyond tennis?
Most players, including myself, would end up watching Netflix or scrolling online once we were done with our matches. I never liked that. A part of me always wanted to pursue hobbies and passions alongside my sporting career. So I decided to use that time to explore the creative side of my mind, which led me to music.
How do you make sense of the challenges that come with a demanding sport like tennis and an independent art form like English rap?
A sport like tennis teaches you to stay neutral. When it comes to making rap songs about social issues, the biggest challenge is often dealing with hate or threatening messages online, which comes with tennis, too. I embrace both sides equally and take everything in my stride because the challenges are what shape us into who we are.
You’ve spoken about mental health and gender justice. What has that journey taught you?
I’m a relaxed and upbeat person. When I speak or write songs about mental health, it comes from a specific phase in my life when I was struggling mentally and couldn’t understand why. It felt like there were some chemicals in my brain that were making me feel low. I would take online questionnaires to see if I was depressed, and every single one suggested that I was and that I should seek professional help. But I avoided it for a long time because I was ashamed of how I was feeling. Through my lyrics, I want listeners to know that what they’re experiencing is normal and that reaching out for help is not just okay, it’s brave.
When it comes to gender injustice, I’ve grown up with a sister, and I can say with confidence that men and women experience the world differently. There are freedoms that many men take for granted that women often don’t have. It’s something I’ve always felt strongly about. I try to make a positive impact within my own friend circle. The goal of making songs is to encourage more conversations and hopefully inspire others to create that same positive influence.
Do you ever feel tension between being an athlete and being someone who speaks out on issues?
As an athlete, I sometimes feel like I’m expected to be one-dimensional – just focus on training, matches and fitness. But I grew up watching my parents build multiple businesses and succeed across different fields. Seeing that inspired me to pursue all of my interests. One of my goals is to free myself from society’s expectations. I’m going to continue pursuing multiple passions and speaking my mind, even if it gets me in trouble. If I start censoring myself, then I’ll be living a life that’s not true to myself.
How do you stay grounded when you’re dealing with pressure, expectations and visibility?
To be honest, I don’t consider myself someone who has achieved enough to justify having a big ego. When your focus is simply on becoming the best version of yourself, those things become insignificant. Despite everything my parents have achieved, they’ve always remained grounded. That has had a huge influence on me.
What are you trying to build or leave behind, beyond sport and music?
I’m one in nearly 8 billion, so chances are I won’t leave behind anything monumental. However small the impact may be, I want to do my best to make it a positive one. There’s still a lot of room for improvement in India, and I’d like to see my generation step up and take responsibility for building a better future. I’d love to live in a country where my sister can walk alone at night with the same sense of safety and freedom that I have as a man. I’d like to see taxpayers’ hard-earned money used effectively and responsibly. One of my biggest dreams is to inspire people to use their voices for good.