The School of Power Tennis

A grounded beginning in 1991

The School of Power Tennis, known to families across Hyderabad and Secunderabad as TSPT, began in 1991 with a clear promise that still defines its courts today. Build players with discipline. Teach the game on clay so that footwork and spacing come first. Keep the message simple and the standards firm. Founder and chief coach C. V. Nagraj stepped away from a conventional career to coach full time, and over three decades he has refined a method that prizes repetition, clarity, and honest effort.

The academy’s reputation grew the slow way. Word of mouth, results at district and national events, and a steady stream of juniors who developed dependable shapes on their strokes. Parents noticed how the atmosphere on court remained even whether a beginner was learning to toss a ball straight or a national hopeful was working a high-intensity drill. Players who stayed through their school years learned to handle both the grind of daily practice and the stress of tournament weekends. That continuity is the thread that runs through TSPT’s story.

Location and setting that shape training

TSPT’s main base sits within the Railway Recreation Club complex behind Rail Nilayam in Secunderabad. The placement matters more than it might seem. Being two kilometers from Secunderabad Railway Station gives parents and players a predictable commute, and the larger multi-sport environment reinforces habits like punctuality, shared use of space, and personal responsibility for equipment and warm-up. A second branch at Bhavans Vivekananda College extends the academy’s reach into the city’s northeastern neighborhoods.

Hyderabad’s climate is a practical ally. Winters are dry and mild, an ideal window to build volume and overhaul technique without heat stress. Late spring runs hot but manageable with early starts and structured hydration. The monsoon eases in around June and tapers off by September, which nudges the staff to plan tactical emphasis before the rains and to keep fitness alternatives ready when showers interrupt sessions. The rhythm is predictable, and the coaches use it to periodize training blocks through the year.

Facilities built for daily work

Courts and surfaces

TSPT is a clay-first academy by design. At the Railway Recreation Club base there are multiple red clay courts complemented by a single synthetic court for contrast. The clay foundation pushes players to find balance at contact, organize their spacing under pressure, and build points rather than chase quick winners. Coaches move athletes between courts to solve specific problems. A player rehearsing crosscourt control might live on clay for a week, then switch to synthetic for a day to test timing at a faster pace before returning to clay to bank the improvement. The Bhavans branch adds additional clay courts that allow juniors to be placed by stage rather than age, which keeps peer groups aligned on goals and intensity.

Fitness and recovery

The academy’s commitment to fitness is not a slogan pinned to a banner. It is built into the weekly calendar. Players cycle through a dedicated fitness area and a gym configured for tennis-specific strength. Movement quality comes first, then progressive loading. Younger groups work on landing mechanics, coordination, and rhythm. Advanced players test sprint times over short distances, repeated-sprint ability, medicine ball throws, and hop-and-hold stability. Recovery is made simple enough for a 12-year-old to own: hydration targets, post-session snacks, and basic soft-tissue work when needed. One-to-one fitness support is available for those on a high-performance track.

Learning spaces and community setting

Beyond courts and weights, TSPT keeps a compact library of books and video resources focused on tennis, fitness, and nutrition. Short classroom-style huddles appear on the schedule as motivational talks, but the content is practical: tournament planning, how to pack a racquet bag, match review habits, and nutrition strategies for long days on clay. The multi-sport venue adds a layer of real-world learning. Young athletes see how other sports share space and schedules, and they pick up habits of independence that will matter when they travel for events without a parent on every trip.

Coaching staff and philosophy

Head coach C. V. Nagraj brings a background in physical education with specialization in tennis, backed by formal coaching credentials. His hallmark is clarity. Footwork patterns have names. Stroke models are broken into checkpoints a player can self-correct. Assistant coaches are not traffic cops feeding balls at random. Each coach has a clear role in a given session, whether it is feeding patterns for rhythm, creating live-point constraints to target a tactical goal, or watching only one technical checkpoint through an entire drill.

The philosophy is plain and consistent. Preparation, practice, and hard work are the foundation. The metric is progress on controllable habits, not only match wins. Players track first-serve percentage, depth on rally balls, neutralizing skills under pressure, and quality of recoveries after wide balls. Video is used sparingly as a feedback trigger rather than a constant presence. A small whiteboard travels from court to court so players can write down one technical cue and one tactical cue to take home from the day. Confidence and character are treated as outcomes of those rituals, not as buzzwords.

Programs for every stage

TSPT runs year-round programming shaped around school calendars and weather. Names evolve, but the structure stays steady so families understand where a player fits and what progress looks like.

• Red, Orange, Green Fundamentals: For beginners roughly 7 to 11. Sessions mix coordination games, hand feeding, and live-ball patterns with softer balls when needed. The early target is a repeatable service motion and the ability to rally ten balls with balance.
• Development Squads: For players around 10 to 15 who can rally and serve with basic reliability. Training adds daily serves, longer live-ball drills, and constraint-based match play such as a two-second recovery rule or mandatory crosscourt patterns before changing direction. Fitness focuses on movement quality and landing mechanics.
• High-Performance Juniors: For 12 to 18 competing on district and national circuits. Weekly microcycles combine two to three on-court sessions during holidays or one longer session on school days, plus strength, prehab, and scouting. Calendars are mapped to reduce school disruption and to plan travel intelligently.
• Pro Track and Transition: A small group for players pushing into ITF events or domestic men’s and women’s circuits. This block adds individualized planning, more one-to-one fitness, and targeted sparring.
• Adult Training: Morning or late-evening groups focused on reliable patterns, serve plus first ball, and doubles habits that translate to club play.
• Summer Intensives: Compact early-morning camps ahead of the monsoon with hydration built into every block so quality does not drop as temperatures rise.

Because group names and timetables can shift seasonally, families typically request the current schedule and criteria during an initial call or trial session. The staff is used to working around exams, late school dismissals, and peak tournament windows.

Player development in practice

Technical

On clay, neutral depth is king. TSPT teaches players to claim the baseline without losing balance. Swing height, contact out in front, and loading the legs do more work than arms. Serves are tracked with outcome metrics juniors understand: first-serve percentage, double faults per set, and two reliable patterns on deuce and ad sides.

Tactical

Patterns are layered rather than dumped all at once. Younger players earn the right to change direction by first proving crosscourt control. As they progress, coaches add pattern families such as inside-out forehand with a line change on the next ball, or backhand up the line to the opponent’s forehand followed by middle-third recovery. Match charting is simple and consistent: error types, serve placement, rally length.

Physical

Weekly assessments test what matters for tennis. Short sprints, lateral accelerations, repeated-sprint ability, hopping stability, and medicine ball throws. Strength starts with movement competency, then hinges and pushes, and only later with heavier loads. Recovery rules are simple and enforced by habit. Hydrate before and after, refuel on time, stretch purposefully, sleep well. The aim is not to be the strongest person in the gym, but the fittest player on the last point of a long third set.

Mental and educational

Routines replace motivational speeches. Players learn a consistent warm-up, pressure breathing at the back fence, and how to script two adjustments between sets. During heavy school months, loads are dialed back so quality stays high. Parents receive guidance on sleep windows, transport timing, and tournament logistics so athletes arrive prepared rather than rushed.

Alumni and success stories

For an academy that does not market loudly, TSPT’s alumni list is significant. The program highlights nine Indian representations split between Junior Davis Cup and Davis Cup. Olympian J. Vishnu Vardhan trained for many years within this system, moving from junior success to national titles to a place on the London 2012 stage. Davis Cup player Saketh Myneni also has ties to the program, and the academy counts a long line of national winners and university champions among its graduates. In 2009, founder C. V. Nagraj received a local Best Coach award that recognized his sustained impact on Hyderabad’s tennis scene.

Testimonials from former players and officials tend to use the same words: discipline, clarity, fairness, consistency. Many note the simple fact that coaches show up early and stay late, and that structure does not depend on one star coach being present. That reliability gives families confidence to commit for years, not weeks.

Culture and community life

Daily life at TSPT is designed to look the same on Monday morning as it does on Friday evening. Courts are set early, players know where to put their bags, and warm-ups begin without coaxing. The environment is serious but not joyless. Younger groups mix footwork games with skill work, older groups take on leadership roles during warm-up blocks, and everyone is expected to leave the court better than they found it. Small touches carry weight. Players shake hands with coaches at the start and the end of a session. Parents are welcome to watch but are encouraged to let routines run their course.

Because the academy is non-residential, community stretches beyond the fence. Car pools form. Players move between branches during exam weeks or tournament lead-ups. When out-of-town families visit for trial sessions, staff members help them slot into peer groups quickly so assessments are meaningful.

Costs, access, and scholarships

The academy does not publish tuition openly because pricing varies with program intensity and contact hours. Entry-level groups are the most accessible, while high-performance and pro-track blocks carry higher costs due to coaching density, fitness support, and tournament planning. Families typically request a quote along with a breakdown of what is included. TSPT’s founding ethos emphasized quality coaching at accessible prices, and that spirit still guides how players are placed by need rather than by marketing labels.

As a non-residential setup, logistics are straightforward. Parents typically manage housing and transport. Many choose early morning or late evening slots to fit school timetables, which is where the central location helps most. For visiting players, the office coordinates trial session windows, recommends nearby accommodation, and arranges a short assessment so decisions are based on evidence rather than a quick glance.

Scholarship support has historically been aligned with clear indicators of need and potential. While formal scholarship announcements are not a constant feature, families with demonstrable financial constraints and strong training habits are encouraged to discuss options during the admissions process. The academy’s track record suggests that promising, committed players are seldom turned away for reasons that can be solved with thoughtful planning.

What sets it apart

• Clay-first development builds patience, spacing, and stamina. Players learn to construct points and to defend with shape rather than making low-percentage swings.
• Fitness is central, not an add-on. Weekly assessments, clear progression standards, and a gym configured for tennis turn physical preparation into a daily habit.
• A record of real results that include national titles, Junior Davis Cup representation, Davis Cup alumni, and an Olympian speaks to the depth of the program.
• Founder-led continuity ensures consistency across courts, while individualized coaching avoids cookie-cutter strokes.

How it compares regionally

Hyderabad is a lively tennis market with a range of philosophies. The clay-first, fitness-led approach at TSPT sits alongside other strong programs in India and the region. Families weighing options often compare TSPT with the high-profile training environment at the Sania Mirza Tennis Academy, which offers different facilities and a distinct brand presence. Those open to travel sometimes look at the technical focus and structured progression at Baseline Tennis Academy in Chennai, especially for hard-court exposure. For a more international campus feel, some families benchmark against the destination setup at Mouratoglou Tennis Center Dubai. These comparisons help clarify preferences. If you want boarding, a corporate campus, or constant international traffic, a destination model may fit. If you want daily structure, clay repetition, and a clear path from fundamentals to national competition within a city routine, TSPT remains a compelling choice.

Future outlook and vision

TSPT’s stated vision is to develop players passionate about representing India and to ground that ambition in preparation and hard work. The next phase is less about adding shiny elements and more about codifying what already works. That might mean simple video workflows that players can repeat on their phones, strength templates mapped to age stages so parents know what to expect, and even tighter links between school calendars and tournament travel. Publishing more detail on group criteria and training loads would also help families plan seasons with confidence. The core assets are already in place: courts, coaches, fitness, and a working culture that has proven itself under pressure.

Who thrives here

TSPT suits juniors who like routine and respond well to clear expectations. It suits families who value steady progress over hype, and who want a coach to care as much about the quality of recovery steps as the speed of the forehand swing. Adult players who prefer purposeful drills over casual hits will also feel at home. If you require full boarding, dining halls, or a hyper-commercial campus atmosphere, this is not the right fit. If you want an honest education in tennis with coaches who measure the right things every day, it is.

Final word

The School of Power Tennis has stayed relevant for more than three decades because it built its house on fundamentals that withstand fashion. Clay courts build better movers. Fitness built into the week keeps players competing on Sunday the way they started on Monday. Simple, specific instruction makes self-correction possible. The academy earned its standing with national winners, Davis Cup alumni, and an Olympian, but those headlines are the product of small daily rituals. For players and families who want that kind of structure, there is a court in Secunderabad where the work has a clear purpose and tomorrow looks like today for all the right reasons.