Net Gains
Petar Petrovic wrapping up fourth straight season as Brownsburg’s No. 1 singles player
By Mike Beas
As any tennis coach will admit, a certain confidence comes from being able to pencil in the same name at the top of the lineup.
In the case of Brownsburg’s seventh-ranked boys squad, that name is Petar Petrovic.
Petrovic, who entered this season with a truckload of accolades and a career record of 51-10 playing the opponent’s best player, is enjoying his fourth and final tour as the Bulldogs’ No. 1 singles player.
It’s a journey that began with the 2017 season and three times has landed Petrovic on the first team All-State team, according to the Indiana High School Tennis Coaches Association.
One of only two seniors on the Bulldogs roster, Petrovic, who carries a 3.8 grade-point average, can be counted on for more than just points.
“Petar has really had to train outside of school a lot, and that’s really led to him leading by example,” said third-year Brownsburg coach Spencer Fields. “He’s definitely grown into being more of a vocal leader. His junior year, we were kind of low on seniors, and I asked him to be the leader on the team.”
As a junior, Petrovic advanced to the championship match of the Fishers Regional in the individual state tournament by rallying to defeat Reese Knoderer of Fishers, 1-6, 6-0, 6-3. Petrovic lost to then-undefeated Perry Meridian senior Sajin Smith (now a member of the Ball State men’s tennis program), 6-1, 6-3, in the title match.
Petrovic lost to Smith in the same match at the same regional site as a sophomore and freshman, too, but hopes to take his skillset deeper into the postseason this time around.
Petrovic did a Q&A with ICON:
Q: Did you think before the 2017 season that you had a chance to be the No. 1 singles player all four years at Brownsburg?
A: My freshman year I didn’t know, but when I came in I was hoping I would. I’ve been playing at such a high level for such a long time. High school is a little bit of a different ballgame, but that was a big accomplishment that I’m still very grateful for.
Q: How long have you played tennis, and who or what was it that got you started?
A: I started playing when I was about 10 years old. My dad (Dragan) really kind of pushed me to play, and my sister (Kristina) was playing then, too. And we all practiced together, too. My sister did it more for fun, but I maybe made it a little more serious. The discipline of the game really drew my attention.
Q: What are your plans after graduating from Brownsburg High School?
A: I’m going to play college tennis. The recruiting process was delayed because of COVID-19, so it’s pretty much up in the air. There are a lot of schools contacting me, some out-of-state and some in-state. I would like to major in exercise science or some sort of business.
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