Indian-born Sagar Patel makes connections through USTA Missouri leagues

In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month occurring in May in the United States, USTA Missouri is featuring league player Sagar Patel.

Sagar Patel has always been the sporty type. That dates back to his childhood growing up in Navsari, India, a southern city in the state of Gujarat hugging India’s western coastline. Patel played cricket frequently and also dabbled in badminton and volleyball.

“Anything that was available (I played),” Patel said. “And if I liked it, I would continue it.”

Upon moving to the United States 12 years ago as a 21-year-old to pursue a master’s degree in computer science at the University of Texas at Arlington, Patel tried racquetball as well. Two years later when he landed a job at Expedia in Springfield, Missouri, he joined a crew that played cricket on a lacrosse field.

But it became difficult for that group to get together when the Covid pandemic hit, so Patel sought another athletic outlet. He and some of his friends decided to hit tennis balls a day in 2021 and, after a couple weeks of casual play, Patel enrolled in a beginner class at Cooper Tennis Complex.

During just the second class of the session, though, Patel sustained a broken arm. Undeterred, Patel picked up the sport again the following fall and has been a regular ever since. He plays in USTA Missouri men’s and mixed leagues, and he tries to get to the courts once or twice a week to hit with friends for fun. Patel also occasionally participates in tournaments.

“The more I played the more people I came across,” Patel said. “One of the summers somebody reached out, ‘Hey, do you want to play in leagues?’ I’ve always been interested to play with different people. The better people I play with, I get better. It’s also inspiring to get better. I’ve met a lot of good people along the way that have helped me.”

A couple years before he and his buddies tried tennis for the first time, Patel purchased his first tennis racquet at the request of his friend, who wanted to try the sport when her husband was visiting Springfield.

“We ended up not playing, but I had a racquet I had bought for like $15 from Walmart,” Patel said. “That’s what I used a couple years later.”

Patel has since upgraded his equipment and his game. As he improved he became increasingly motivated to play more regularly. He said he enjoys tennis because it is fun, a great workout and a conduit to making friends. Patel has played on USTA Missouri 18 & Over 3.5 men’s leagues, 7.0 mixed leagues and 3.0/3.5/4.0 men’s tri-level leagues.