Legends who encouraged people to follow tennis in India
Sport in India has undergone a massive transition. The transition of sports in India is a fascinating journey marked by significant changes in popularity, infrastructure, and the global presence of Indian athletes. Earlier Cricket majorly dominated in this country, but today, India has become a multi-sport country. Sports like Hockey, Football, Wrestling, Badminton, Basketball, Boxing, etc. are gaining added participation and following. One of these sports gaining momentum in the country is Tennis.
Tennis, a sport synonymous with elegance and precision, has a storied history in India that spans over a century. From its colonial roots to its modern-day champions, Indian Tennis has evolved remarkably, making significant contributions to the global tennis landscape. This blog celebrates the journey of Tennis in India, celebrating its past, present, and promising future.
Origin
Tennis was introduced in India in the 1880s by the Britishers. Soon after its introduction in the country, regular tournaments like the Punjab Lawn Tennis Championship (1885), Bengal Lawn Tennis Championship (1887), and the All India Tennis Championship (1910) were organized. Initially, these tournaments were majorly won by the Britishers. Slowly and steadily more Indians started to play the game and got better than the Britishers. Tennis in India gained momentum with players like Ramanathan Krishnan after independence.
India has produced some world-class Tennis players who have left a mark on the international stage and have made the nation proud. Let’s have a look at some of the finest Tennis players of India.
Ramanathan Krishnan
Krishnan’s contributions to Indian Tennis are monumental. He was introduced to the sport by his father, T. K. Ramanathan, who was also a Tennis enthusiast. Krishnan’s journey to fame began in 1954 when he became the first Asian player to win the Wimbledon Boy’s Singles title. In his senior career, he reached the Wimbledon semi-finals twice: in 1960 and 1961. He reached the quarter-finals of the French Open in 1962. In the doubles category, he reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals on four occasions. Krishnan played a pivotal role in the Davis Cup where he helped India finish in the second place in the 1966 edition of the competition. Krishnan’s contributions to Tennis were widely recognized. He was honored with Padma Shri in 1962 and the Padma Bhushan in 1967.
Vijay Amritraj
After Ramanathan Krishnan, Vijay Amritraj became the torchbearer of Indian Tennis. Vijay was also introduced to Tennis at a young age. Despite battling serious health issues as a child, Vijay showed remarkable resilience and dedication to the sport. His rise in tennis began in 1973 when he reached the quarterfinals of the US Open. He reached the quarterfinals of four men’s singles Grand Slams, twice at Wimbledon (1973 and 1981) and twice at the US Open (1973 and 1974).
He is a 15-time winner on the ATP Tour as a singles player. In the doubles category, Vijay partnered with his brother Anand Amritraj won 13 ATP titles, and reached the semi-finals of the 1976 Wimbledon. He and his brother also helped India in reaching the finals of the Davis Cup in 1974 and 1987. Vijay was honored with the Padma Shri in 1983.
Ramesh Krishnan
Son of Ramanathan, Ramesh followed his father’s footsteps. His father was his first coach and mentor. Ramesh quickly made a name for himself by winning the 1979 Wimbledon Boys Title and the French Open Junior Title. He also won eight ATP singles titles throughout his career and reached three Grand Slam quarter-finals; one in Wimbledon (1986) and two in the US Open (1981 and 1987).
The star also won the ATP Challenger Title in 1986. He was a part of the team that reached the final of the Davis Cup in 1987. He represented India at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics in men’s doubles. He along with Leander Paes reached the quarter-finals. Ramesh was honored with the Arjuna Award in 1980 and the Padma Shri in 1998.
Leander Paes
Leander Paes is one of the most celebrated and accomplished tennis players in Indian history. Paes had a career that spanned over three decades. He was born into a sports-oriented family. His father was a field hockey player who won a bronze medal at the 1972 Olympics.
His mother was a basketball player who captained the Indian national team. Paes came into the limelight when he became the first Indian to win the Wimbledon Junior title in 1990. He was also the junior US Open champion. He is the first and the only Indian to clinch an Olympic medal; a bronze in Men’s singles tennis at the 1996 Olympics. Leander won eight men’s doubles Grand Slam titles; Wimbledon (1999), French Open (1999, 2001, and 2009), Australian Open (2012), and US Open (2006, 2009, and 2013). He also has an impressive collection in mixed doubles.
He has four Wimbledon titles, three Australian Open titles, two US Open titles, and one French Open title in the mixed doubles. Paes was ranked the No. 1 doubles tennis player in the world in 1999. He also holds the record for most doubles wins at the Davis Cup. His contribution to the sport has been recognized by many awards. Paes was awarded the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in 1996, the Padma Shri in 2001, and the Padma Bhushan in 2014.
Mahesh Bhupathi
Mahesh Bhupathi was introduced to tennis at a young age by his father, C.G.K. Bhupathi, who was a tennis coach. His early training under his father’s guidance laid a strong foundation for his future career. Mahesh became the first Indian tennis player to win a Grand Slam after winning the 1997 French Open Mixed Doubles. He along with Leander Paes won three Grand Slams from 1999 to 2001.
Mahesh won the 2002 US Open Doubles titles. At the 2004 Olympics Bhupathi and Paes narrowly missed out on the bronze medal in the doubles category. However, they won a bronze medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Mahesh was honored with the Arjuna Award in 1995 and the Padma Shri in 2001.
Rohan Bopanna
Rohan Bopanna is a prominent Indian tennis player known for his expertise in doubles tennis. He was introduced to the sport by his father and received early training in Bengaluru. His breakthrough moment came when he won his first ATP doubles title in 2008, signaling his arrival as a top doubles player. Rohan became the only third male Indian Tennis player to win a Grand Slam in the mixed doubles event at the 2017 French Open. Rohan partnered with Sania Mirza at the 2016 Olympics.
The duo reached the semi-finals in the mixed doubles but failed to convert it into a medal. At the age of 43, Bopanna became the oldest tennis player to win ATP Masters 1000 title. He also claimed the 2023 Indian Wells Masters crown. He was honored with the Arjuna Award in 2018 and the Padma Shri in 2024.
Sania Mirza
India had very little to cheer in the top tiers of women’s tennis until the emergence of Sania Mirza. Sania became the first Indian woman singles player to win a WTA title in 2005 at the Hyderabad Open. She later became the first Indian woman to win a Grand Slam mixed doubles at the Australian Open in 2009. Sania along with Bhupathi clinched the 2011 French Open mixed doubles as well.
She also won the 2014 US Open mixed doubles. In 2015, Mirza partnered with the Swiss legend Martina Hingis. They had a winning streak of 44 matches during which they won three back-to-back Grand Slam doubles titles; Wimbledon 2015, US Open 2015, and French Open 2016. During this period Sania became the first Indian woman to reach the No.1 ranking in WTA doubles.
The glory doesn’t end here. Along with the aforementioned titles, she also has 43 WTA doubles titles to her name. Sania was honored with the Arjuna Award in 2004, Padma Shri in 2006, Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in 2015, and Padma Bhushan in 2016.
Indian tennis has come a long way since its introduction, and with continued support and development, it has the potential to produce more champions and achieve greater success on the global stage. It has been more than two decades since India won its first Olympic medal in Tennis. All hopes are pinned on the Indian Tennis contingent to bag another medal at the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.
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