"Why would a federation shut down a program that was benefitting so many top players is beyond me" - Zeeshan Ali on the NTC closure [Exclusive]

It's not been a good start to the new year for Indian tennis. After the fracas between the All India Tennis Association (AITA) and a group of current/former players stole the headlines in the last few months of 2024, the 2025 season has begun with news that the AITA has decided to shut down the National Tennis Centre in Delhi.

While the AITA has not issued any statement or reasons for their decision, we caught up with former India Davis Cupper Zeeshan Ali, who was the Head of the National Tennis Centre at the time of its closure, to get some more insights into this decision by the national tennis federation.

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Exclusive Interview with Zeeshan Ali

Sportskeeda: Zeeshan, your thoughts on the National Tennis Centre being shut down?

Zeeshan Ali: I think it was a sad day for a lot of the upcoming junior and men's/ women players of the country when the AITA decided to shut down the program. It was a great initiative, something that our country needed. Almost every country in the world has a National Tennis Centre except India now.

As per the discussions and plans that were formed in the initial time before the program started, the idea was to have a tennis hub where all the top juniors, men and women players of the country could at any time have a training center with all the infrastructure and staff required to help them on their tough journey to becoming a top class tennis player.

That was the reason I left Bangalore where I was running a successful tennis academy to move to Delhi. I realized over the years that private academies can only support a player so much. The plans that AITA had would have taken Indian tennis to the next level had everything promised been delivered.

Sportskeeda: Were you aware of the plans to close down the National Tennis Centre?

Zeeshan Ali: I came to know about the AITA shutting down the program through an email sometime in October 2024. No reasons were given to me for closing it down.

Sportskeeda: What do you think could be the reason for the AITA's decision?

Zeeshan Ali: I have absolutely no idea. Why would a federation shut down a program that was benefitting so many of our top players is beyond me.

Sportskeeda: In recent times, was the National Tennis Centre accomplishing the goals/objectives that it had been set up for?

Zeeshan Ali: Absolutely. In the first three years, we won as many as 10 National Championships in different age groups. This itself is something that no tennis academy in India has been able to do, let alone in three years. We had players training with us who went on to play Davis Cup, win ITF Men's and Junior tournaments, and also represent India and win the Asian Junior Davis Cup. So yes, we were definitely on the right track.

Sportskeeda: Do you think there is a need for such a National Tennis Centre in India?

Zeeshan Ali: There is an urgent need for such a center and program in our country. Not everyone has the financial capability to train in Europe or the United States, and this was a stepping block for our upcoming players to be able to train in one place. By the third year, NTC had close to 45-50 of India's top junior and men's players training in the program, barring the top five players in the country.

Sportskeeda: How does this decision impact you professionally? What are your plans for the immediate future?

Zeeshan Ali: I will continue training the upcoming talent in our country. With over 28 years of coaching tennis experience in different parts of the world, there is a lot I have to offer the younger generation. I am in the process of reviving the Zeeshan Ali Tennis Academy, which has taken a bit of a backseat due to my commitment to the NTC.

I have already started a High-Performance Tennis program in Gurgaon as well as in Noida. I have also tied up with Sports Skill to provide an app-based performance analysis and guide, which is so needed in today's day and age for any upcoming sports person. So, lots of interesting things ahead, and as always, I'm here to do my bit for Indian tennis.