Passion for Sport
I was born in Kolkata on 17 June 1973 to a Bengali mother, who at 5’ height was the captain of the Indian National Basketball Team. My father, belonging to Goan and Portuguese descent, is 6’3” and represented India in the 1972 Munich Olympics. Growing up to this pedigree in Kolkata, a city that is so passionate about Sports and community living, was a blessing for me. I grew up playing sport at a lot of clubs, be it at Calcutta Cricket and Football Club, DI or South Club, where I first started playing sports at the age of 5.
I was the mascot of the National Basketball Team where I would follow my mom through her matches, practise sessions, press conferences and so on and so forth.
When my father would travel with the National Team, I would assume the role of their mascot and follow him wherever he would go. In one season, when we came to Bombay for the Aga Khan Championship, I was 9 years and as usual, I accompanied my father to the tournament where he was playing for the Indian National Team. As the fate would have it, I participated in my first ever Tennis Tournament in Bandra during my stay in Mumbai and won the same. That was to be the beginning of my Tennis Journey in 1983.
Love for Tennis
In February 1986, I was selected as one of the ball boys for India’s Davis Cup Tie against Czechoslovakia and it was during the tie that Anand Amritraj tried me out for Britannia Amritraj Tennis Academy. I went on to the court and with not much Tennis skill or technique, I just made up my mind that I would chase every single ball down, whether it fell inside or outside the court and impress him with my physical capability, stamina, mental passion and aptitude to prove that I will work hard enough to be a champion. Lo and Behold, I was selected for the Britannia Amritraj Tennis Academy, where I then moved to on 12th May, 1986. And, the rest as they say is history. I first tasted Grand Slam success with victories at the Junior Wimbledon and US Open.
Taste of Glory
I was absorbed in the national team fold post my Junior Grand slam success and was fortunate enough to be part of the Davis Cup team that defeated the mighty French in 1993 in a match now dubbed the 'Miracle of Frejus'. My moment of joy, pride and emotion was immeasurable when I won the bronze in Men's Singles Tennis at the 1996 Olympics. Seeing the national flag unfurl, standing atop the podium is an unforgettable feeling and memory.
Magic of Wins
It was a remarkable phase where Mahesh and I reached the finals of all 4 Grand Slams in the 1999 calendar year and subsequently brought home India’s first ever Grand Slam Doubles win with the French Open. We also won the Men’s Doubles titles in Wimbledon in 1999 where I completed a memorable double by winning the Mixed Doubles title as well.
Some of my other noted victories during the period included winning the Mixed Doubles titles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2003 with Martina Navratilova, an achievement that made her the oldest ever major champion.
Reinventing Myself
During my time, I played with & against some of the best players in the world and I got to learn a lot from each one of them. By winning the Mixed Doubles at the 2010 Wimbledon, I became only the second player, after the great Rod Laver, to win a Wimbledon title in three consecutive decades. I also participated in the World Team Tennis by turning up for Washington Kastles. I was on the 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 championship teams and was also named Male MVP for 2009 and 2011 for all of World Team Tennis.
Winning my 55th ATP Title in Auckland ensured that I had won at least one ATP level title every year since 1997. 2014 proved to be a very special year for me as it was the year when I was conferred with India's third-highest civilian honour, The Padma Bhushan Award.
One for the Record Books
2015 was a landmark year for me as I paired up with Martin Hingis to win the Australian Open, the Wimbledon and the US Open. I completed my Career Grand Slam in Mixed Doubles by winning the 2016 French Open with Martina, thus joining an elite league of players.
In a career spanning over 30 years, I have had the privilege of playing with 164 different partners and sharing a bond with each one of them. It is these bonds that have made me the person that I am today and helped me win 8 Doubles Grand Slam titles and 10 Mixed Doubles titles. They have also helped me attain the World Record for most Doubles Wins in Davis Cup History (46) I still remember the day I first donned the Indian jersey on 2nd February, 1990 as if it were yesterday. The pride, the passion and the emotion are still strong as I eagerly await my last hurrah on the tennis court.
The Lionheart is ready with his ‘Last Roar’.
