Four of the Most Iconic Indian Tennis Players




Throughout the years, India has produced some of the most influential sportsmen and sportswomen the world has ever seen. With a population of more than a billion citizens it’s somewhat impossible not to have a globally recognized athlete. Ranker predominantly highlights cricketers, namely Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, as well as Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli as some of the most iconic.

Cricket’s popularity in the country is second to none. These aforementioned names have become somewhat legends not just in this particular sport, but also in the whole nation. However, there’s another sport and a distinct batch of athletes that should stamp their names on the list.

Unlike in the United States where anywhere from Las Vegas, to Albuquerque, to Houston are the best cities to enjoy tennis, according to Ren Gates’ blog post on Play Your Court, India’s resources are limited to urban areas. Still, the racket sport has a substantial following in the South Asian country.

The open era saw a handful of Indian tennis players who have consistently performed at the highest level. It’s safe to say they’ve made and left their respective marks on the sport. So with that in mind, here are four of the most iconic Indian tennis players ever.

Sania Mirza

Sania Mirza

Sania Mirza

An Indian tennis list wouldn’t be complete without Sania Mirza. More than her goddess-like features and undeniable feistiness, she’s an extremely talented player. Mirza dominated India’s singles tennis circuit for a good decade, before retiring and moving on to play doubles. The Sports Mirror even has an article that talks about her possible Bollywood debut.

Leander Paes

Leander Paes

Leander Paes

Leander Paes has been a steady fixture on the pro tour, having played in the past two and a half decades. The 43-year-old has won 18 Grand Slam titles, eight of which came from men’s doubles and ten from mixed doubles. With these unprecedented accomplishments, Sportskeeda considers him as the greatest tennis player in India. Paes also serves as the sports ambassador of the Indian state of Haryana.

Vijay Amritraj

Vijay Amritraj

Vijay Amritraj

Known before as one-third of the famous Amritraj trio, Vijay slowly climbed the world tennis rankings and established himself as a household name in India. Even though he failed to win a Grand Slam championship, he’s one of the most recognisable personalities in Asian broadcasting, covering events on cable. Amritraj even had short acting stints in movies like James Bond: Octopussy and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

Ramanathan Krishnan

Ramanathan Krishnan

Ramanathan Krishnan

Before the Sania Mirza, the Leander Paes, and even the Vijay Amritraj, there was Ramanathan Krishnan. He’s not only one of the most successful international tennis players of the ‘50s and ‘60s, Krishnan also holds the record as the only Indian to have reached a Grand Slam singles semi-final. The now 80-year-old legend is also the only Indian pro to have climbed the top ten in singles world ranking. For his exemplary service, various governing bodies in India bestowed Ramanathan Krishnan the Arjuna award, the Padma Shree, and the Padma Bushnan.

Tags: , , , , , ,

Author:

Aspiring Media Enthusiast, Cricket Tragic, Football Fanatic, Avid Reader, Amateur Photographer & Wannabe Sports Writer.

Cricket

US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti enjoys gully cricket in Jaipur

US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti enjoys gully cricket in Jaipur

Posted by: Vikram Kamboj on February 4th, 2024

Jaipur, 04 February 2024: US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti was in the pink city on Saturday where the Ambassador dropped by Rajasthan Royals’ home stadium ..

Football

New York New Jersey will host the FIFA World Cup 26 Final

New York New Jersey will host the FIFA World Cup 26 Final

Posted by: Vikram Kamboj on February 5th, 2024

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy celebrated today’s announcement that the Host Region of New York New Jersey (NYNJ) was awar ..

Tennis

Leander Paes inducted into International Tennis Hall of Fame

Leander Paes inducted into International Tennis Hall of Fame

Posted by: Vikram Kamboj on December 19th, 2023

Former doubles world No. 1 Leander Paes was recently elected to receive the Ultimate Honor in Tennis – induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame &# ..

F1

Life Lessons learned from Sports & Fitness #TOSBDay

Life Lessons learned from Sports & Fitness #TOSBDay

Posted by: Vikram Kamboj on September 26th, 2016

Held on Sept 1st, The Outstanding Speakers’ Bureau (TOSB) Twinterview consisted of sports panelists such as Mark Gallagher (Public Speaker on F1 race), Shayam ..

Boxing

Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker set for huge showdown

Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker set for huge showdown

Posted by: Vikram Kamboj on February 15th, 2018

It looks like it will be a scintillating couple of months for fans of elite boxing. There is the prospect of the rematch between Gennady Golovkin and Saul ‘Ca ..

Other Sports

The 2023-24 Season of the Los Angeles Clippers: A Mid-Season Review

The 2023-24 Season of the Los Angeles Clippers: A Mid-Season Review

Posted by: Vikram Kamboj on February 15th, 2024

As the 2023-24 NBA season approaches the All-Star break, the Los Angeles Clippers have emerged as a formidable force in the Western Conference, showcasing their ..

One stop guide to all the latest sports news, reviews, opinions, fixtures and live scores from India and around the world.

Copyright © 2024 | The Sports Mirror