While modern tennis continues to expand its horizons, from record-breaking exhibition matches in Africa to high-stakes streaming events in Las Vegas, Wimbledon remains the sport’s true heart. And now, it’s that special time of year when the pristine, freshly cut green courts of the 1868-founded All England Club prepare for their sternest test against today’s battle-hardened baseliners. It’s when players trade their flashy outfits for crisp whites, and for Indian tennis fans, a wave of nostalgia washes over, awakening memories of a more stellar past for a sport currently in slumber.
It’s at this oldest and most revered Grand Slam where some of India’s greatest tennis players achieved their finest moments. This hallowed ground saw a father-son duo each claim the junior singles championship. It’s where a teenager captivated the world by reaching the singles quarter-final, and where a formidable fire-and-ice doubles combination blazed through the men’s championship. Even a trailblazing Indian woman left her indelible mark on Centre Court as a doubles champion.
The Present Reality: A Flag Without a Bearer
And yet, despite this rich history, this year’s Wimbledon will see no Indian player in the main singles draw. It’s been a decade since an Indian player reached a final in either doubles or mixed doubles, and similarly, 10 years since an Indian boy or girl clinched a junior title. Once, generational greats—from Ramanathan Krishnan to Ramesh Krishnan and Vijay Amritraj, to Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, and Sania Mirza—proudly carried India’s flag at what many call the mecca of tennis, each leaving a significant mark. Today, that flag is left without a worthy bearer. As this edition of Wimbledon begins on Monday, Sumit Nagal, India’s lone representative in singles, unfortunately crashed out in the first round of qualifiers.
Yuki Bhambri, India’s former top 100 singles player and current doubles world No. 35, noted that “Most academies and clubs, especially in India, have a lot more hard courts now.” He added, “For every player, it’s hard to adapt to grass. The grass courts at Wimbledon have changed too and are a lot slower, which only adds to the challenge.” But, as history shows, it wasn’t always this way.
The Golden Era: Paving the Path on Grass
India’s presence at the tournament, which began in 1877, started in the early 1900s. However, it wasn’t until around the 1950s that Indian players truly began to advance beyond the early rounds in singles. In 1947, Sumant Misra made strides, winning his first two singles matches and reaching the doubles quarter-finals.
The true “Indian flavor” on those grass courts, however, truly emerged in 1954 when Ramanathan Krishnan captured the boys’ singles title, becoming the first Asian player to achieve this junior feat. He then went on to break even more barriers in the professional stage. Ramanathan, a former world No. 3, twice reached the singles semi-finals at Wimbledon in 1960 and 1961, playing with wooden racquets and setting a benchmark no Indian has managed to reach since. In 1961, Ramanathan produced one of his most memorable results, defeating the legendary 12-time Grand Slam singles champion, Australian Roy Emerson, in the quarter-final. Though the iconic Rod Laver proved a step too far in the semi-final, Ramanathan had forged a path for others to follow in the Open Era.
Building on the Legacy: From Father to Son and Beyond
Ramanathan’s legacy was notably carried on by his son, Ramesh Krishnan, who also won the Wimbledon junior singles title in 1979 and, seven years later as a pro, reached the quarter-final of the main event.
Before Ramesh’s 1986 quarter-final finish, a wide-eyed 19-year-old from Chennai, Vijay Amritraj, arrived at the All England Club in a Rolls Royce—then the official tournament car—and departed as a quarter-finalist in 1973. Flaunting a big serve and a style perfectly suited for grass, Amritraj powered his way into the last eight. He would repeat this impressive run in 1981, only to be stopped by Jimmy Connors.
India’s Wimbledon momentum was then picked up again in the next decade by two doubles stars who came together to form one sparkling combination, continuing a rich tradition of Indian excellence on the hallowed grass courts.
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