Tennis in India is not a very popular sport. The most important reason being that it requires a huge investment in the earlier year of development as a tennis professional. The other reason could be that unlike Cricket, tennis does not receive much backing and sponsorships that suffering from the constraints of economics. However 4 Indian players have managed to win Grand Slams but all of them have done so either in doubles in mixed doubles. Let’s look back at these 4 players who made the country proud through their achievements.
4. Rohan Bopanna
The 1980 born Bengaluru resident did the country proud when he won the 2017 French Open mixed doubles alongside Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada.
Bopanna has also contested in 2 Grand Slam finals, which include 2010 US Open doubles and the 2018 Australian Open doubles. Bopanna has reached the career high ranking of World Number 3 in the doubles arena and won 377 doubles matches in his career so far.
3. Sania Mirza
Sania is the only Women tennis player in India ever to win a Grand Slam. She has so far won 6 Grand Slams in her career, 3 of which have come in doubles and 3 in mixed doubles.
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In both the formats Sania managed to win 1 slam each at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open. In doubles she also managed to reach to the finals of the French Open. Sania has also climbed to the career high ranking of World Number 1 in doubles.
2. Mahesh Bhupathi
The Chennai born player held the baton for Indian tennis for a long period along with his long-time partner and co-patriot Leander Paes.
Bhupathi has won 4 slams in doubles and 8 in mixed doubles category. He has also been the World Number 1 in doubles and managed to win 687 doubles and 115 mixed doubles matches in his 21 years long career.
1. Leander Paes
Paes has undoubtedly been the best tennis player India so far produced. In his 28 year long career so far, Paes has won 8 doubles Grand Slam titles and 10 Slams in the mixed doubles category.
Paes also made India proud in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics where he won a Bronze Medal in the Singles Category. Leander Paes has so far won 767 doubles matches which paved way for his 54 career titles.