India is known as a “doubles expert” in tennis, a claim made by Thomas Setodji, a player from Togo. On his visit for the Davis Cup in Delhi, he acknowledged India’s success in doubles. Indian players like Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, Sania Mirza, and Rohan Bopanna have brought home 33 Grand Slam titles, all in doubles.
Setodji shared, “We know you have a strong team. Doubles will be tough for us, but we are ready for the challenge.” This highlights India’s dominance in the doubles format, but the singles scene has a rich history too. Before today’s stars, Vijay Amritraj and Ramesh Krishnan were the pioneers. Amritraj reached the quarterfinals of four Grand Slams and won 15 singles titles, while Krishnan made it to the last eight three times and secured eight trophies. Notably, India’s only tennis medal at the Olympics came from singles when Paes won bronze in Atlanta in 1996.
In recent times, players like Somdev Devvarman and Sumit Nagal have made their mark in singles. However, the changing format of the Davis Cup has made it tough for India to find new talent. Young Karan Singh, 21, is stepping into the spotlight and is determined to demonstrate that India can produce strong singles players.
Karan had a fantastic start in his career when he won the ATP Challenger doubles title in Brazzaville in 2024, teaming up with French player Florent Bax. But he emphasizes that singles is his main focus. “Doubles is fun, but I’m a singles player. That’s where my passion lies,” he noted.
Inspired by the success of fellow Indians in doubles, Karan aims to shift the spotlight back to singles. “We want to show everyone that there are great singles players in India too. I believe this can happen soon,” he stated.
Karan also fondly recalled his time at the National Tennis Centre, which was set up to strengthen India’s singles tennis scene. Unfortunately, it was shut down in December, leaving a gap in training programs. Karan hopes for a new initiative to fill this void. “The NTC was a great program for two years. It’s disappointing that it’s gone, but I’m hopeful something similar will return,” he explained.
As he prepares to represent India in the Davis Cup on February 1 and 2, Karan feels optimistic. “Our training has been going well. We are all sharp and excited to compete. It’s an honor to play for my country,” he said, brimming with confidence.
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