On top of collecting a diploma, college acceptance letters and a cap and gown this spring, Abhinav Dandu and Jackson Clements have another accolade to add to their shelves: a state championship title.
The New Albany High School seniors placed first in Division 1 for doubles in May at the OHSAA Boys Tennis State Tournament, marking a successful conclusion to their high school career.
Pairing up
Abhinav Dandu
Dandu and family.
With both boys heading into the 2025 season carrying individual state titles under their belts, the pairing seemed like an obvious choice to Marc Thomas, now-retired NAHS’ boys head tennis coach.
“I knew they would be successful in singles, but I also had a lot of confidence they would be one of the best doubles teams in the state,” Thomas says. “I knew they would be successful either way, but I just felt they had the opportunity to do something really special in the doubles tournament.”
Despite their coach's sureness and their long list of individual achievements, working together wasn’t an immediate success. Their first match as a doubles pair was self-described by the pair as a “the lowest of the low” performance.
“(Dandu and I) were so bad,” Clements says. “We certainly wouldn’t have even made it to states if we continued to play that way, but we stuck with it. We started getting a lot better, started practicing more and we improved a lot.”
Despite this initial disconnect, they returned to practice the following week determined to improve. After switching sides on the court, practicing with different teammates and closely working with their coaches, Clements and Dandu competed much stronger in the following weeks.
“I think they're a lot alike and yet really different at the same time,” Thomas says, who emphasizes the pair was so successful because of their ability to play off of each other’s strengths.
Dandu, who Thomas describes as calm and resilient on the court, contrasts with Clements’ high energy and competitive nature. This dynamic was key to becoming state champions.
State championship
Jackson Clements
Clements and family.
Clements and Dandu continued to improve through the season and headed into the state championship seeded to win the Division 1 doubles tournament.
Despite this optimistic projection, the players still dealt with some nerves.
“We were picked to win states, but there are two other teams there that probably deserved it just as much as us,” Clements says. “That’s a lot of pressure, being expected to win and trying to live up to those expectations.”
Putting nerves aside, the seniors took home the first-place trophy with a final tournament score of 6-4. To them, this win meant much more than just a trophy.
“It was a lot of joy and a lot of built-up emotions over the past couple of years,” Dandu says.
Clements and Dandu have played tennis for 14 and 9 years, respectively. After years of work as individual players, this win as a pair was the best way to end a long chapter.
“I feel like it was my dream to win a state title,” Clements says. “Doing it with (Dandu), we have a bond that lasts forever.”
More than a trophy
Jackson Clements
State Champs!
Along with awarding NAHS its fourth doubles state championship, Clements and Dandu’s excellence has had an impact on the other members of the team as well, according to Thomas.
“(Clements and Dandu) taught their teammates what it should be like to be a New Albany Eagle,” Thomas says. “They really did a good job of not only playing well, but also being the leader, the person who sets the example.”
Both Clements and Dandu were team captains and many of their teammates showed up to cheer them on at the state tournament. This camaraderie is part of the lasting effect the recent graduates are leaving behind.
“Lots of people can be good on the tennis court, but can you make people better around you?” Thomas says. “Can you make sure this thing we started continues to go, continues to work, and continues to evolve past just the time you’re here? I think they did a great job of that.”
Off the court
Balancing senior year festivities, a rigorous course load and daily tennis practice, both athletes kept busy during the school year.
“Maybe you can't hang out with your friends every single time, like they make plans but we have practice,” Dandu says. “(But) I feel like tennis (was) a pretty big part of my high-school experience.”
This fall, Clements is playing tennis at Hillsdale College and Dandu is studying health sciences at Boston University. He plans to try out for the team.
Disha Hoque is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
