Mumbai: Rajeev Ram, the retiring American former world No.1 doubles pro of Indian heritage, has a message for budding tennis players from South Asia: nothing is beyond reach in the sport if you fully commit to it.
Ram, 42, announced his retirement from the sport on Monday, capping a professional career which began in 2004, earned six Grand Slam doubles titles and the top spot in the event along the way. The parents of the Denver-born American citizen are both immigrants from India.
“To any person who comes from South Asian heritage: I’m here to tell you that you can do anything you want if you commit to it. There’s no certain path you have to follow, and nothing is out of reach,” Ram wrote on X while announcing the end to his career.
Ram is of South Asian heritage, but had access to better facilities, infrastructure and coaching while starting out in the US. To his credit, he made good use of it to reach the pinnacle of the doubles game. The US, a land of current Grand Slam singles aspirants Coco Gauff and Ben Shelton, has a rich and vibrant tennis culture as well as a thriving collegiate system.
Many budding tennis pros in South Asia do not get access to that level of support from a young age, and hence largely grind on the lower rungs of the sport. There are, of course, a few exceptions who have charted their path towards the top level.
{{/usCountry}}Many budding tennis pros in South Asia do not get access to that level of support from a young age, and hence largely grind on the lower rungs of the sport. There are, of course, a few exceptions who have charted their path towards the top level.
{{/usCountry}}Most recent is Alexandra Eala, the breakthrough Filipino talent who is scripting many a first for her country. The Philippines has no real tennis history or structure, and Eala is defying that. But even in her case, the push to the elite level for the bright junior came years after she was roped in by the Rafa Nadal Academy, where she has been training since she was 12.
India’s Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi, the 17-year-old promising junior, was also recruited by the Rafa Nadal Academy last year. It will be interesting to see how her career trajectory goes. Dhakshineswar Suresh, the tall big-server who is only starting out in his pro career at 26, also competed at the US collegiate level.
After Sumit Nagal entered the top 100 in 2024, Indian tennis has been struggling of late in terms of the singles pool. Even in doubles, after the retirement of former world No.1 Rohan Bopanna, it remains to be seen who can step up.
“If you set your mind to achieving your dream and surround yourself with the right people, it can happen… I’m living proof,” Ram said.
The American doubles stalwart, who was in India earlier this week, said he never thought tennis could become his life over all these years.
“The reality is that all of this started as just a game. I always thought tennis could be a sport for life for me, but I never envisioned that it would make my life,” he wrote on X. “There were many wins and losses along the way, but I always felt like my purpose in this game was to simply work to be better today than I was yesterday. That was my driving force, my why, and the thing that kept me going for more than two decades. And I had the time of my life doing so.”