Once a nation madly in love with cricket, Indians now are major tennis fans and enthusiasts. From following international stars like Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic to home-bred Mahesh Bhupathi, Leander Paes, and Sania Mirza, Indians know whom to watch and adore in tennis.
Leander Paes is owed the due for opening up India to the international tennis world. He turned professional in 1991 and waved the Indian flag at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games after winning the singles bronze medal. Paes has etched his name among tennis greats, winning eight men’s doubles Grand Slam titles, including the prestigious Wimbledon in 1999, French Open thrice, Australian Open and the US Open.
Mahesh Bhupathi was the first Indian to win a Grand Slam tournament in mixed doubles. Paes and Bhupathi once reigned the world as the No.1 doubles team. The latter made his mark, winning the 2002 US Open doubles title with Max Mirnyi. In 2004, he partnered once again with Paes for the Athens Olympics but didn’t cross the semi-finals.
Sania Mirza made her mark as the first Indian woman singles player to win a WTA title in 2015. She has scores of titles and trophies in her cabinet, including Australian Open mixed doubles, and French Open 2012 mixed doubles. Mirza made an iconic partnership with five-time singles major champion Martina Hingis in 2015. They were acclaimed as one of the most successful doubles pairs.
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Here Are Emerging Stars of India Tennis
Sumit Nagal
ATP Singles Ranking: No.80
He made his Grand Slam debut in 2019 at the US Open, wherein he faced tennis G.O.A.T Roger Federer in the opening round match. In 2020, Nagal became the first Indian since Somdev Devvarman (2013 US Open) to claim victory in a singles match in the main draw of a Grand Slam. He qualified for Tokyo Olympics but failed to make a breakthrough in the second round.
Ankita Ravinderkrishan Raina
WTA Singles Ranking: No.267
She has been playing since the age of 5 but won her first professional singles title in New Delhi in 2012 and doubles. At the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, Raina won a bronze medal. The same year, she claimed victory at the Taipei Challenger doubles with Karman Kaur Thandi. In 2020, Raina won two singles titles and helped India advance to the Fed Cup World Group 2 playoffs in Dubai. She competed at the Tokyo Olympics but exited after the first round.
