Madras’ ten greatest sportsmen

Ramanathan Krishnan

He would be in anyone’s list of top ten Indian sportsmen of all time.

As the only Indian to enter the Wimbledon singles semifinals (he did it twice running in 1960 and 1961) and as the player to spearhead India’s maiden entry into the Davis Cup Challenge Round in 1966, Krishnan’s place in Indian tennis is secure and unchallenged.

But most importantly Krishnan was the pioneer, the path breaker, the man who put India firmly on the tennis map of the world.

His fluent groundstrokes and the oriental artistry with which he executed them along with his qualities of sportsmanship made him one of the most popular players in the world in the fifties and sixties.

In his time, he had victories over all the top players including Jaroslov Drobny, Rod Laver, Neale Fraser, Roy Emerson, Alex Olmedo and Chuck McKinley all of whom went on to win Wimbledon.

He had one of the best records in the Davis Cup where he remained a formidable opponent in both singles and doubles.

Krishnan was the first Indian to win the Junior Wimbledon title in 1954, a feat emulated by his son Ramesh and Leander Paes.

He now runs the Krishnan Tennis Centre on the outskirts of Madras, remaining as modest and unassuming as ever. There is, however, nothing modest about his record or his standing in Indian tennis.

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