Roger Rasheed is internationally renowned for coaching top-ranking tennis stars - but it’s his daughter, India, who inspires him the most.

Rasheed sat anxiously alongside India during the AFLW National Draft at Marvel Stadium, hoping to hear her name called out.

That stress soon turned into immense joy for the Rasheed family, when Adelaide selected India with Pick No.13.

Rasheed, who coached Lleyton Hewitt, Gael Monfils, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Grigor Dimitrov, told AFC Media watching his daughter’s dream become a reality was an emotional moment.

“She’s actually quite inspiring to me,” Rasheed, who also lined up in eight SANFL games for Sturt, said.

“I have always been proud of her, so to get some recognition and to be selected to play at the highest level is fantastic.

“There’s a bit of relief now, in the sense that she can finally rest as it was quite an anxious day.

“She loves playing footy and has been waiting for a couple of years for this moment.”

The Crows selected India after she put together an exceptional SANFLW season with Sturt, which included averaging 24.3 disposals and booting 11 goals from 14 games.

The crafty midfielder/forward also won the League’s Breakthrough Player Award, and starred at the under-18 AFLW National Championships.

India grew up around elite sport, mixing with top-10 tennis players, due to her Dad’s work.

Despite playing tennis as a junior, it wasn’t long until she swapped her racquet for footy boots and according to her Dad, Aussie Rules quickly captured her heart.

“When she was 12, she decided to have a bit of a sabbatical from tennis, the competition side of it,” Rasheed said.

“She’s always at the Australian Open, she’s great friends with all the guys I’ve coached, so it excites her at the high-level games.

“But she was always invested in football, watching it as a supporter, and then once the AFLW came to be and she was old enough to see it, it was like ‘get me there now’.”

Throughout India’s footballing journey, Rasheed said he had always been there to support and guide her.

He says her work ethic, natural ability and passion for Aussie Rules are behind her rapid rise.

“I am there as Dad 100 per cent first and foremost and when she throws things at me, I’m there to listen and give my thoughts,” Rasheed said.

“She is a very natural footballer, she plays very instinctively and she’s got a good footy brain, her football IQ is very good.

“You’ve got to marry that with genuine, real high performance work, which she’s watched and learned, being around tennis and my work, and she just naturally adopts that. 

“India has worked really hard, she’s very diligent, she loves the process because she can see the rewards.”