Change of Paes

A generational shift is under way in Indian tennis, but the lack of  top-ranked singles players is a major concern.

- Neeru Bhatia

Tennis legend Vijay Amritraj finds tennis a lonely place. He travels to tennis tournaments around the world, sometimes as brand ambassador, sometimes as commentator. But, the absence of Indian singles players in the ATP and WTA circuits upsets him. So, what does he do instead? He finds solace in another racket game. “I just love following badminton—the Indian boys and girls are doing a spectacular job there!” said Amritraj, his face lighting up as he talks about the Indian shuttlers.

“We haven’t had anyone in the [tennis singles] top 50 since Ramesh Krishnan! Who was our last [singles] player to play on centre court in Wimbledon? It was me. In Asia, the next one was Japan’s Kei Nishikori. We must focus on having players good enough to play grand slams. We haven’t addressed this issue in the last 40 years,” he told THE WEEK.

The ageing tennis landscape has been an issue plaguing Indian tennis for some time. But, now, tennis is the talk of the town. A generational shift has happened in Indian tennis, almost smoothly. India qualified for the World Group playoffs of the Davis Cup for the fourth successive year, beating Uzbekistan in the second round of Asia/Oceania Group 1 tie in Bengaluru. While the home team’s performance was lauded, Amritraj sounded the practical note. His message was to look at the larger picture, and not just achievements in the Davis Cup.