First thing Aaraa Aasaal Azim does after waking up every dawn is attend to her Fajr prayer, and then heads off to tennis practice.
This sums up the routine of the 15-year-old tennis player who achieved the Best Female Tennis Player title at the 2023 Maldives Sports Awards.
"I start at the break of dawn. After prayer, I practice tennis for two hours after which I take an hour's break for fitness and then resume playing again for another two hours," Aaraa, who is a distant learner in Grade 9 of an American high school via online, said.
"After this, I take another break in the afternoon and resume practicing for another two hours before my classes begin. Classes end by 7:00 p.m. latest."
She said her Best Female Tennis Player title at this year's Maldives Sports Awards was a culmination, and a "dream come true" of her dedication and hardwork.
Besides winning the Best Female Tennis Player title, Aaraa was also nominated for the Most Promising Female Athlete and Best Female Sports Athlete awards, which further added to her joy. While she ranked second in the Most Promising Female Athlete category, she got third place in the Best Female Sports Athlete category.
Until the 2023 national team selection, Aaraa had been training at Thailand's Core Tennis Academy.
Aaraa shared her experience in Thailand, noting that training and practice sessions were readily available due to the abundance of tennis courts in the area.
At the beginning of her tennis career in the Maldives, Aaraa said she only got close to two-hour time slots to practice in local courts.
Aaraa who defended the championship title in this year's BML National Women's Open Singles, began her tennis career at the young age of six. Before her venture as a professional tennis player, Aaraa had tried her hands at table tennis, basketball, swimming and athletics as well.
"When I first started out, my results were not impressive. But I never harbored negative emotions about it, and instead, always held on to the mindset that hard work will pay off," Aaraa, who took her first National Singles Event championship in 2022 said.
Aaraa, who secured her position in the the national team's squad since the age of 12, had reached the point along with her father, former Commissioner of Prisons Moosa Asim's sacrifices as well.
During one of the most challenging periods of her life in 2019, Aaraa received crucial support from her father. This support came after she had returned from Malaysia, where she had completed her training, and was facing multiple health complications.
Besides this, her father played an instrumental role in the National Athletics Association's change in policy that previously accepted athletes only after they were of a certain age bracket.
Aaraa secured her first entry into the national team in 2020 by securing top rank in the selections. She had competed against notably older opponents to reach to the top spot.
Since her entry into the national squad, Aaraa has cemented her place as a dependable and important player.
Aaraa was also part of the national squad that competed in the tennis world cup known as the Billie Jean King Cup.
She showcased exemplary sportsmanship and skills in the tournament, while her squad managed to secure fifth place in the Middle-East Zone 14 category.
According to Aaraa, the team managed a better win in 2023 compared to last year owing to the combined commitment and dedication, and the chance to collectively practice as a team.
"It truly was a joyous occasion for the Maldivian team to advance in the rankings. Last year, everyone had practiced at different venues, locations. However, this year, everyone had prepared for the matches together, we practiced collectively, and this outcome is the result of that," Aaraa said.
In the age-based tournaments, Aaraa is looking forward for a slew of under-18 tournaments while she has already bagged the championship title in the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) tournaments which was held in Thailand in 2022. She took the under-14 doubles category win, and another bronze win under the singles category.
Besides being an exceptional tennis player and athlete, Aaraa is also an intelligent and disciplined student.
Right now she has set her sights on grabbing the championship title in a International Tennis Federation's (ITF) tournament.
Though her aspirations for now does not include a global top rank win, she is still eyeing for top wins at ITF and ATF tournaments.
She also aspires to secure a gold medal win for the national team as well.
"It was slightly difficult to balance my studies and tennis at first, but when you want to achieve something badly, you need to learn this skill. God willing, I have been able to balance my studies and tennis properly," Aaraa, who won the under-16 championship title in both women's singles and doubles events in the Junior Tour at Malaysia, said.
Aaraa is the embodiment of perseverance and the epitome of achieving success through resilience. She is an exemplary student for others who also wish to pursue a vibrant sports career while maintaining a strong academic track record.
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