'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Despite the current era of tennis is being pre-dominated by Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, it has gained a lot of interest in India, where there is a huge fan following for cricket. The game of tennis, too, does enjoy a considerable following in India, thanks to the achievements of some of the Indian players who have been successful in the world scenario.
British are credited for the inception of tennis as a game in India in 1880s. Gradually, the game developed in India and led to the formation of ‘All India Tennis Association’ (AITA) which became the top level body governing of tennis in India. Although AITA organized various National and International level tournaments it was not until mid 1990’s that tennis gained popularity and fame in India. Players, such as Ramanathan Krishnan, Jaidip Mukerjea and Premjit Lal, dominated the game and changed the scenario completely. Continuing on the fast track were Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupati and youngsters like Sania Mirza and Somdev DevVarman. With such a class of talent and promising youngsters the future of Indian tennis seems bright .
Trending
Indian Stars:-
Leander Paes:
Achievements:
- Won the 1990 Wimbledon Junior title
- Won the Wimbledon and the French Open Doubles title in 1999
- Bronze medal in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics
- Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 1996
- Carried the tricolor at the 2000 Sydney Olympics opening ceremony
- Padma Shri Award in 2001
- Leander Paes won the US Open Mixed Doubles title in 2008.
Leander Paes was born on 17 June 1973, in Calcutta, India. Right from his early entry to the world of tennis, Leander Paes proved to be a promising player. He won the Junior US Open and the Junior Wimbledon, thus proving himslef to be a hugely talented Indian tennis star.
The Paes-Bhupathi duo proved to be a successful combo for the Indian tennis, as the duo brought a number of titles to the homeland. They also entered the semi-finals of the US Open in 1997.Paes paired up with Lisa Raymond to win the Mixed doubles event at Wimbledon in 1999. Leander Paes continues to be one of the promising Indian tennis players. He was ranked among the top 20 players in the world doubles ranking in 2005 and maintained the position until 2007.Although he is moving towards the end of his career, still he proves to be an icon for the young generation .
Mahesh Bhupati:
Achievements:
- Became the first Indian to win a Grand Slam by winning the French Open Mixed Doubles title in 1997
- Won the Wimbledon and French Open Doubles Title in 1999
- Won US Open Mixed Doubles in 1999
- Won Australian Open Mixed Doubles in 2006
- Padma Shri Award in 2001
Born on 7 June 1974 in Chennai, Mahesh Bhupathi became a professional tennis player in 1995. . He paired up with Leander Paes, the combination which has changed the face of India on the world of tennis. The pair won six ATP Doubles titles in 1997. Bhupathi, along with Paes, won three doubles titles, including French Open and Wimbledon, in 1999. In 2002, Bhupathi paired with Max Mirnyi and went on to grab the US Open Doubles title. In 2004, he was ranked in top 10 in doubles for the fourth successive year.
Together with Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi featured in a number of ATP events and went on to win some of the most prestigious tournaments, including Davis Cup and Wimbledon.Their relationship fluctuated and eventually they had a break-up which proved out to be a black era for Indian tennis.After a few years of split they recombined and came with a bang in 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Tournaments:
Chennai open:
Previously, the tournament was named as Gold Flake Open and TATA Open, Chennai Open, South Asia’s only Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tournament,is held every year in the second week of January since 1997. Played at the hard-court of SDAT-Nungambakkam Tennis Stadium, this tournament has attracted some of the top players of the ATP circuit in the recent years. The tournament mainly comprises of two events – the Men’s Singles and the Men’s Doubles.
Somdev's success brought a lot of cheers for Indian tennis
Kingfisher Airlines Tennis Open:
Starting in 1996, Kingfisher Airlines Tennis Open is organised annually on outdoor hard courts. After a decade, the event came to India. The inaugural edition of the Kingfisher Airlines Tennis Open was held in 2006 in Mumbai.
Sunfeast Open:
The Sunfeast started in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour calendar in 2005 with Kolkata playing host to the first edition. The tournament, India’s first ever Tier III WTA event, was held from September 19-25, 2005 and carried a total prize money of US $170,000.
Though not a hot favourite among the cricket crazy people of India, but still tennis is strengthening its roots among the hearts of young generation of India. A few promising youngsters have increased its glory a lot. The fans and followers of tennis in India is still growing and so is the involvement of people in the game. There is, hopefully, much more to see from India in the tennis courts around the world.
