Seven-time national tennis champion Gaurav Natekar joins Cyrus for one of the most insightful sports conversations ever — from the legacy of his legendary father Nandu Natekar to the explosive rise of India’s Pickleball revolution.
They dive into pickleball vs tennis, the shocking speed of the sport’s growth, how Gaurav and Aarti built the league from scratch, and why Sony, Swiggy, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Ritesh & Genelia, and Sunil Gavaskar are all owners in this massive new sport.
🔥 WHAT GAURAV REVEALS
Why he walked away from tennis to build a pickleball empire
The never-told story of CCI giving permission after 17 years
Why Indians excel at net-speed sports (but not power sports)
Is pickleball going to steal talent from tennis & badminton?
Scouting players across Japan, Korea, Vietnam and 18 countries
How much players REALLY earn in the league ($5,000 to $80,000)
Why India can’t produce a Top-10 tennis player yet
The truth behind the Jannik Sinner doping controversy
Federer vs Nadal vs Djokovic — Gaurav picks the real GOAT
Why Indian cricket is struggling at home and what’s killing spin batting
How their TV-friendly 15-minute match format is revolutionising racket sports