'%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)
The number of tennis fans in India has been on the rise recently. And after what seemed like a lull over the past few years, with only a few Indians making their presence felt in the ATP rankings, that is anything but bad news for Indian tennis. The rise in the popularity of the game has, unsurprisingly, coincided with an improvement in the tennis infrastructure and an upswing in the performances of local players on the global stage.
Here is a look at the factors that are causing a surge in Indian tennis:
1. Big tournaments are coming to India
The All India Tennis Association (AITA) recently concluded the ATP Challenger India Circuit in New Delhi. The three-tournament swing, after touring Chennai and Kolkata, moved to Delhi where India’s No. 1 player Somdev Devvarman triumphed. The AITA has been working hard to bring big tournaments to India and the Challenger series, much to AITA’s delight, was a huge success. With it have shot up the hopes of India playing host to many more top tournaments in the future, which in turn would help Indian players hone their skills much more effectively.
The 2014 Chennai Open 2014 winner Stanislas Wawrinka, went on to win the Australian Open this year which brought more even more recognition to India’s only ATP 250 tournament. The AITA’s efforts have helped in bringing some of the biggest names in tennis to India over the years, and young Indian players now have the privilege to not only watching them play, but also learning from their favourite stars.
2. India’s recognizable players have been putting in strong performances
Hosting prestigious tournaments is not the only thing that has kept tennis in the limelight in the country. India’s top stars have been doing rather well for themselves on the global circuit lately, which has significantly increased their recall value among the fans. After his maiden ATP quarterfinal showing at the Chennai Open and a win at the Chennai Challenger earlier this month, Yuki Bhambri has entered the elite league of the world’s top 150 and is currently placed at No. 146 in the ATP rankings. Bhambri is the only Indian to win the junior Australian Open, which he did in 2009. He is now a well-established player on the senior circuit and has already moved 27 spots in the rankings in 2014.
Meanwhile, Somdev Devvarman continues to chug along in the top 100. He won the Challenger in Delhi, and a couple of days ago upset Juan Martin del Potro in the Dubai first round (the Argentine retired with a wrist injury after losing the first set). Although Devvarman failed to capitalize on his good run, as he lost his very next match to Malek Jaziri, he has climbed up to No. 78 in the world rankings, which is just 16 spots lower than his career high ranking of 62. Devvarman seems well on his way to rising even further upwards in the rankings, and might even be able to break into the top 50 by the end of the year.
3. Training academies for budding talents are flourishing
The number of world-class tennis academies in the country is also on the rise, and there are even a few tennis-specialized schools which take care of the overall needs of young tennis enthusiasts, with kids as young as six-year-olds under their wing.
Mahesh Bhupathi has started a chain of tennis academies, called the Mahesh Bhupati Tennis Academies (MBTA). MBTA is a pioneering effort to promote the game of tennis across different levels in the country.
India’s best woman tennis player in history, Sania Mirza, is doing her bit to promote tennis among youngsters by bringing world-class training to India through the Sania Mirza Tennis Academy (SMTA). There is considerable hope among tennis aficionados in the country that a few big names will emerge out of the SMTA.
4. The entertainment angle of the IPL-style tennis league is all set to capture the Indian fans’ imagination
One of the factors for the rise in the popularity of tennis in India might be the fact that we are living in an era which very possibly is the most competitive and entertaining era in the history of tennis.
Or maybe, it is the rise in the entertainment quotient of tennis lately. After the huge success of the Indian Premier League, badminton and hockey quickly followed with their versions, namely the Indian Badminton League and the Hockey India League, respectively. Tennis was the last sport to join the bandwagon when Mahesh Bhupathi, announced the start of the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) from 2014.
The IPTL is a city-based franchise league involving not only the current men’s and women’s players but also the legends of the game. “We have been working relentlessly to formulate and deliver a concept that not only meets global expectations of excellence, but also provides quality tennis coupled with entertainment for fans. With this, we confirmed team owners in five of Asia’s biggest markets,” said Bhupathi, the co-founder of the IPTL along with German legend Boris Becker.
The IPTL will provide a great stage for more Indians to come forward and show their talents to the world. Not only that, there are also rumours that the likes of Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray will be participating in the ITPL, which would boost the profile of the league several times over.
When a star like Roger Federer not only gives his backing to the IPTL but also expresses his desire to play in India, you know things are looking up for tennis in the country. There has been a steady rise in the number of tennis fans and youngsters taking up tennis in our country. This can only be good news. And maybe, just maybe, we might soon see an Indian lift a Grand Slam singles trophy.
