World University Games postponement buys Hong Kong tennis prodigy Adithya Karunaratne precious time

For most athletes, the postponement of the World University Games in China will have come as a huge disappointment.

But not Adithya Karunaratne, the Sri Lanka-born Hong Kong tennis prodigy who won her maiden W25 (US$25,000) professional title last Sunday.

The 20-year-old law school student-athlete, who is ranked No 634 in the world, was recently asked by the University Sports Federation of Hong Kong about her availability to compete in the Chengdu Universiade, which had been set to take place in late June.

“To compete at the World University Games, I need a mainland travel permit for Hong Kong residents, which I don’t have yet, and I’m working on acquiring it from here in Spain,” said Karunaratne, who is enrolled in online learning at the University of Law in London.

“I consider Hong Kong to be my home – my family and I became naturalised Chinese citizens.

“Representing Hong Kong on the international stage has always been one of my goals, whether it’s the Asian Games, the Olympics, or the World University Games.”

With the World University Games postponed because of a spike in Covid-19 cases in China, Karunaratne now has ample time to get a permit for her maiden Universiade.

Hong Kong tenpin bowlers hoping Asian Games postponement helps them strike lucky

The Hong Kong Sports Institute athlete, who has been stationed in Barcelona since 2015 and trains at the WeTennisBcn Academy, was elated with her triumph in Tunisia and is now vying for the Hong Kong women’s No 1 slot.

Karunaratne defeated 27-year-old Nigina Abduraimova of Uzbekistan in the semi-finals of the W25 Monastir event in Tunisia, and then overcame Japanese player Sakura Hosogi 6-3, 6-3 in the finals to win her first W25 title.

“The semi was the most memorable because one week ago, I lost in two sets – 6-1, 6-3 – to the Uzbekistan player in the quarters, and it’s sweet revenge to win against her, and it’s also a nice start for me,” she said.

Karunaratne now has a career-high ranking, and is set to go even higher next Tuesday after her points are updated from her win in Tunisia.

“My ranking objective is to be up to 300 by the end of the year, and I am convinced that the coaches here can help me reach that,” said Karunaratne, who is ranked third among Hong Kong female players, after world No 322 Eudice Chong, and No 516 Cody Wong Hong-yi.

Karunaratne was born in Sri Lanka where she began playing tennis at the age of three. She moved to Hong Kong with her family when she was five years old, and studied at the Renaissance College ESF.

She picked WeTennisBcn as her training base to expand her skills, with more coaching and tournaments.

“The Spanish system is the best in the world for the players,” she said. “This includes great infrastructure facilities, experienced coaches, and a huge variety of tournaments for players of all levels.”

Karunaratne made her tournament breakthrough last November, winning an ITF W15 (US$15,000) tournament in Monastir, Tunisia.

“Being in Spain, I have easy access to all the other countries in Europe. This allows me to travel for many tournaments with ease,” added Karunaratne. “Their system is great for aspiring professionals like me who want to continue playing without sacrificing my education.

Karunaratne’s next tournament is the W25 Platja D’aro in Spain on clay next week.

“It is going to be quite difficult since I am coming from playing three weeks on hard courts so I’m trying to adjust as soon as I can to be ready for this weekend,” she said.

“My main target is to be able to participate in all four grand slams in the future. I can’t give you an exact year as sport in general is very uncertain. What is certain is that I will keep working hard to make sure that I stay on the right path towards that goal.”