Ruhan Bhandari '26 Recruiting Profile

I have recently uploaded some match highlights  I played versus a tougher opponent higher ranked (8+ UTR) player which I managed to win and in June 2025 I uploaded a video against a 9+ UTR that I narrowly lost in singles. I have improved my UTR over the last 3 months even though I have played 10+UTR in singles and doubles.My doubles UTR has jumped up.

I am very driven by what I love, which is playing lots of tennis and challenging myself with interesting academic subjects!  As for my goals for college, I hope to go to a school that excels both in academics, and is super competitive in tennis. 

Living in Nairobi, Kenya has made me respectful of the facilities and tennis structures that I have, an environment that forces deep-end competition with  international players coming to play ITF and learning from them. I have also had the opportunity to travel and attend annual summer international tennis camps and play with US and Serbian tennis players which continues to improve my game. I have been lucky to get a glimpse into what a full scale tennis environment would look like. It excites me that I could bring my tennis skills to such a college.

I started playing tennis for fun at the age of 10, having being a ranked junior swimmer in elementary school, and have grown my tennis credentials to be ranked locally  and represent Kenya in international tournaments.My rankings have steadily grown over the last 2-3 years and I am now confident to play and win against top ranked players in both singles and doubles junior ITF.

I am ready for that discipline required of a college athlete and being in full time American school in Kenya with a top 3.9 GPA and balancing high performance tennis training puts me in the right place for this new journey. I train 5 days a week, 3 days gym work before school at the school gym and tennis lessons after school and over the weekend, balanced with an array of school work and just enough time for rest and recovery! 

I am very much of a team player, humble and kind yet driven. i would say I am quite likeable at school, having lots of friends in all spheres be it top achievers in academia or a new student willing to try out HS Tennis. I would consider myself a very good student, as I apply what is being told to me by my teacher or coach, very fast.  As a person, I would consider myself to be very mentally strong, and I always have an optimistic attitude. I excel in my studies, especially math and the sciences. Moreover, I have taken several AP classes, I haven't quite figured out what I want to study but its got to be interesting and that which gives me time to play competitive high performance tennis.

I captained my school tennis team for a while and helped train under priveleged tennis kids in rural Kenya, with an aim of finding one or two young talents for the national training camp.