Meghna Arun Kumar has established herself as one of the top tennis players in the state of Texas, winning her third consecutive state championship this season for the Argyle High School tennis program.
Kumar defeated Maya Diyashev of College Station by the scores of 6-4 and 6-3 to bring home the title.
In 2023, Kumar defeated Ella Wertz of Frisco Wakeland and in her freshman year she beat Stormy Tatum of Gatesville to win state championships.
Coach Adam Mihok said Kumar is one of the most dedicated players he has coached and said it was nice to see her hard work pay off.
“There is not a more deserving girl I can think of being able to accomplish what she has,” Mihok said. “Her work ethic, vision, competitiveness, and steady and relaxed approach to all she does helped her to achieve this accomplishment.”
Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that not only has Kumar never lost a girls singles match in high school tennis—she has never even lost a single set.
Mihok said there was not a specific moment in the state tournament that he felt Kumar had it wrapped up; that moment actually came before the competition even started.
“To be honest, I felt very confident going into the tournament that Meghna was in the driver’s seat,” Mihok said. “Just doing some background research and scouting on her tournament opponents, I could tell that she was the highest-rated player by UTR in the draw and most accomplished. As the tournament progressed and she started to gain confidence and strike the ball better I knew she was headed for a third title.”
Kumar, 16, defeated Shriya Aviur of Frisco Independence 6-0, 6-0 in the semifinals to reach the state championship match, and the laconic Northlake teen said a state title was the objective from the outset.
“My goal was to win state and I did,” Kumar said.
A member of the National Honor Society at Argyle High School, who said that “traveling with the team,” was her most enjoyable part of the season, added that 2023-24 was not without its challenges.
“I have had to deal with battling long rallies and staying in the point on the court,” Kumar said. “Off-court was more of just keeping up with all the school work.”
Kumar’s passion for the sport of tennis started long before high school.
Her parents are originally from Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India, where her father first became interested in the sport, and once they emigrated, it blossomed into a full-blown passion.
“My dad started playing tennis when he moved to the U.S. and watched countless YouTube videos and read many articles to learn more about the game,” Kumar said. “He started using what he learned to teach me and eventually I started getting better as well.”
The Argyle senior said one of the things she enjoys most about her sport is the escape it provides her.
“I love how I can forget everything that life throws my way and release all the stressors with each ball I strike,” Kumar said.
She said her favorite athlete is eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer.
Kumar said her biggest takeaway from the season is that “hard work brings success” and said that her goal for next season when she goes for her fourth straight state title is simply to “continue to improve my game.”
Mihok said Kumar brings a lot to the Argyle tennis program and is a great teammate.
“Meghna has a laid-back personality with some really great wit and charisma that endears her to all the players on the team,” Mihok said. “She works really hard on the court and plays with an intensity and strong drive to win. Off the court, she is very approachable and a friend to anybody she comes into contact with.”
Mihok said the goals for next season are “to expand her leadership role on the team and to carry on the winning traditions that she has crafted in all of her high school years up to this point.”
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