3 min readUpdated: Jul 8, 2026 07:39 PM IST ITF Junior World No. 19 Arnav Paparkar on Wednesday became the first Indian in 36 years to reach the quarterfinal of the Wimbledon Juniors Boys’ Singles with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Japan’s Ryo Tabata. The 18-year-old has joined some elite company in Indian tennis history with the last player from the country to reach this stage being Leander Paes in 1990. Earlier, Paparkar had raised eyebrows with a stunning 6-2, 6-3 win over junior World No.3, Keaton Hance, of the United States. Standing just over six feet tall, Paparkar had told the Indian Tennis Daily earlier this year that he sees his first serve as his primary weapon. His strengths came good for him against Hance, as he had another strong showing, serving six aces, saving all the breakpoints he faced while conceding only 18 points on serve. This monstrous performance helped him record the biggest win of his career so far. A trainee at Hemant Bendrey Tennis Academy under the guidance of coach Prosonjit …