Natasha Subhash gets 2023 Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award

What makes Subhash special is a list of her honors with a combination of academics and tennis

Natasha Subhash, an Indian American tennis player from the University of Virginia, has been named the 2023 ITA Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award winner, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association announced June 12.

Dating back to 1982, the prestigious award is presented to the men’s and women’s national student-athletes who have exhibited outstanding sportsmanship and leadership, as well as scholastic, extracurricular and tennis achievements in ways that embody the legacy of tennis icon and humanitarian Arthur Ashe Jr.

READ: Harmeet Singh makes history as first MLC pick (March 21, 2023)

“From a tennis point of view, Subhash’s accomplishments are numerous,” the ITA press release said noting, “She is a three-time ITA Singles All-American, earning the honor in each of her first three seasons.”

Daughter of immigrant parents from India, Subhash was also a doubles All-American in 2021. In 2020, she was named the ITA National Rookie of the Year, managing to make that big of an impact in her Covid-shortened freshman season.

She is a two-time ITA Atlantic Region singles champion and has consistently earned places in the field of the ITA All-American and ITA Fall National Championships.

Her parents Subhash Kongassery and Sulekha Subhash, emigrated to the United States in 1997. Hailing from Kerala, the couple, grew up in Delhi. Sulekha is a teacher, while Subhash Kongassery is an IT professional in the Washington, DC area.

“My personal philosophy has always been to do whatever I can to help others,” Natasha Subhash stated. “I have always loved to work with children and those with special needs, and I think the love for this came from my mom who is a middle school special education teacher.”

“When I was growing up, the tennis academy I trained at participated in a program called Kids Enjoy Exercise Now (KEEN) where once a month, children with physical and developmental disabilities would come to the academy and we’d run a tennis clinic with them. It was always so rewarding to see the joy on their faces as they participated in an activity that they might’ve thought to be impossible.”

READ: Mia Bhuta: First Indian American US national soccer team captain (February 24, 2023)

In 2023, Subhash was a Semifinalist in the doubles draw at both tournaments. Subhash has been a team captain for two seasons, but has been a leader on and off the court for all four years she has been at Virginia.

“But the best place to get a true picture of what makes Subhash special is by looking at a list of her honors where a combination of academics and tennis are involved,” the release stated.

She was the first player in Virginia history to earn CoSIDA Academic All-District honors in the at-large category. The honor was given to just 11 female athletes selected from District 3, which covers NCAA I institutions in North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

After she earned All-District honors for a second straight year last year, she then became the first player in program history to be voted a CoSIDA Academic All-American.

Subhash has twice been voted UVA’s Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year, winning it the first time as a sophomore. She also was named the recipient of the Ralph Sampson Scholarship Award, an honor given annually to UVA’s top third-year student-athlete who best demonstrates excellence in academics, leadership and athletics.

Subhash is a commerce major studying in the McIntire School of Commerce which is consistently ranked as one of the top five undergraduate business schools in the nation.

Her concentrations are accounting and management, but also has a track in global commerce. She plans on pursuing her master’s degree in accounting next year.

In addition to training and fine-tuning her tennis skills and studying for the rigors of her academia, she still finds time to volunteer. She has been working with Madison House’s Athletes Committed to Education (ACE) program since 2019, volunteering as a tutor working with elementary school students.

READ: Ryan Agarwal wants his play to represent India: NYT (February 20, 2023)

After the pandemic halted in-person tutoring, she looked for virtual opportunities that were similar, finding a program that helped area children who were underprivileged or for whom English was not their first language, and has been working with them since.

Subhash has been a team captain for two seasons, but has been a leader on and off the court for all four years she has been at Virginia.

“She leads by example, but she is also empathetic enough to know what others need from her, and she is willing to give it. She has been the ultimate teammate,” the release said.

Congratulating Subhash in a letter, Head Coach Sara O’leary wrote, “Congratulations to Natasha for being named this year’s ITA Arthur Ashe Leadership Award recipient!”

“As a representative of the UVA tennis family and our university, Natasha has demonstrated excellence in so many parts of her life since she arrived in Charlottesville in 2019.

“Whether on the court, as a four-time (and counting) All-American, or in the classroom where her achievements are many, I’m sure I speak for myself, her teammates, her family and the entire UVA community when I say we could not be more proud of Natasha.”

“From day one as a Virginia Cavalier, Natasha has chosen to dedicate her time not only to her education and her tennis but to helping and leading others.”

“Natasha leads through her compassion, reliability and determination to make a difference. The impact she’s had and will continue to have in Charlottesville will be her legacy as a Cavalier,” O’leary wrote.

“I’m so proud of Natasha and can’t wait to see what her future holds because I know it will be great. Congratulations, Tash,” she added.