Recruiting Profile
Rohan Sachdev Stars on the Court and in the Spelling Bee
by Rhiannon Potkey, 13 June 2017
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Drill work has always had a double meaning for Rohan Sachdev.
Wearing an adidas headband and gripping his Babolat racket, Rohan spent many hours mimicking tennis strokes in the house while his mother quizzed him from a nearby table.
He'd spell a word in the middle of hitting a forehand against air. He'd spell another during the completion of a serve.
Being a nationally-ranked junior tennis player and nationally-recognized speller is a balancing act Rohan mastered throughout his childhood.
The rising freshman five-star out of Cary, N.C., recently competed in the Scripps National Spelling Bee for the second and final time of his career.
Representing Carnage Magnet Middle School, Rohan, 14, finished tied for 12th overall.
He was eliminated during Round 8 when he incorrectly spelled "panniculitis," which means inflammation of subcutaneous fat.
"It was a good experience. It was hard work and a ton of studying I needed to do. I expected to do better than 12th place. I was aiming to win it or come in the top 3, so I was pretty disappointed," said Rohan, who tied for 39th place in his Scripps Bee debut in 2015. "But it's just the luck of spelling sometimes. I didn't know five words in the whole bee and I got one of the words I didn't know."
Rohan's disappointment at finishing 12th must be placed into proper context. The quest to reach the Scripps Bee began with 11 million spellers in classrooms around the country. The pool was narrowed to 291 for the national event.
Although Rohan has reached the age limit for participating in the Scripps Bee, the family tradition may endure.
Sachdev tied for 12th place
courtesy, Sachdev Family
Rohan's younger brother,
Rahul, 12, hopes to prolong the legacy by returning to the event next year. Rahul, who also plays tennis, bested Rohan in 2016 at a regional competition to reach the Scripps Bee.
"Hopefully my little brother can win nationals one day," Rohan said. "It was really fun for me. It was bittersweet because the result wasn't what I wanted. But I just need to move on from it."
Broadcast on ESPN, Rohan used the spotlight of the Scripps Bee to show that elite tennis players can pursue another major endeavor and still excel at a high level. Rohan and Rahul are both the top-ranked players for their age groups in North Carolina and ranked top 40 nationally.
"It's a lot of time management. It takes a lot of discipline. But I really don't like to take that many breaks," Rohan said. "Some kids have phone time and I don't really have a phone because it's a distraction and you can get hooked on it. I don't want to get in that habit, so right now I don't need a phone. I just focus on what's really important to me."
Having an outlet beyond tennis has given Rohan a greater appreciation for his time on the court. He approaches each session with hunger and desire and has avoided mental and physical burnout.
"If you are always playing you kind of get pampered and take the time for granted and don't spend every single minute with focus," Rohan said. "I have realized, since I have less time, that I need to use every single second on the court and really enjoy it. It's a good feeling to always be wanting some more."
Rohan wanted to wear tennis clothes on stage for the final rounds of the Scripps Bee, but his mother, Shubha, quickly nixed that idea. She tried to soften the blow by invoking Rohan's idol Roger Federer.
