Indian Tennis Olympics Journey: From Leander Paes Atlanta 1996 Bronze to Rohan Bopanna and Sumit Nagal Paris 2024 Quest

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Tennis as a medal sport was reintroduced at the Olympics in Seoul, 1988. That was the first time South Korea was hosting the Summer Games, and the buzz over tennis was high. Steffi Graf was the diva of tennis at that time and went on to win a historic gold.

From the Indian perspective, the presence of Vijay Amritraj, a true living legend, and his brother Anand Amritraj in Seoul was important. Vijay had run with the Olympic torch as well, which was more than symbolic. Vijay competed in singles and doubles, but medals were nowhere near in sight.

Not many would know, when the next edition of the Olympics was held in Barcelona, Spain, in 1992, India had a doubles entry in the form of Ramesh Krishnan and Leander Paes. The duo was fairly new as a pair, yet advanced to the quarter-final stage. Had the duo won one more round they could have been in the running for a medal as well.

Not many would be aware of this fact in the current generation. Of course, Ramesh and Leander scripted many Davis Cup triumphs against top teams till September 1993 in the Davis Cup, where India lost in the semi-finals to Australia in Chandigarh.

From a historical perspective, Atlanta, USA, 1996, was the most brilliant moment for Indian sports. Against all odds, when Leander Paes was not a big force vis-a-vis global rankings on the ATP Tour, the Calcuttan soared high. His tennis was unconventional, all along. Leander did not have a big serve. Had that component been part of his arsenal, he could have been more lethal.

Yet, Leander the super athlete was blessed with athleticism, speed and reflexes which could match a fighter pilot breaching the Mach barrier at heights above 40,000 feet. Leander in Atlanta was emotional, full of guts. He loved the "Tiranga" and draped his soul in the tricolour. Those were the days, when Andre Agassi was at peak. Yet, the American was cheeky enough to rubbish the tennis Leander Paes played.

Leander used the chip-and-charge at the net, dive and produce shots which were gravity and momentum defying. So, when he played Fernando Meligeni in the bronze-medal playoff to win a medal, the Indian was fired up. Many watched that match live at Stone Mountain Park in Atlanta as well as live in India. Leander cried. It was emotional.

As a campaigner who also competed in successive editions of the Olympics in 2000 Sydney, 2004 Athens, 2008 Beijing, 2012 London and 2016 Rio, Leander had become a marathoner of sorts in tennis. Where history will blame him for not putting his heart and soul to win more medals for India is not having struck the right partnership with Mahesh Bhupathi.

To be on the ATP Tour and Grand Slams, Leander and Mahesh had won titles. Unforgettably, the way the two fought and quarrelled made for sick viewing. Each time they got back together before an Olympic campaign, there was hype, not hope. Doubles in tennis is not a joke. And if Leander and Mahesh were unable to produce the magic and chemistry for a medal, history will judge them, forever.

Yes, Leander is a legend, a hero, a role model. And he is the biggest inspiration for all in tennis, in India and Asia, though his brand of the sport was so different. Leander has recently predicted India will do well in the Paris 2024 Olympics, which is heartening to hear.

At the Rio Olympics, Leander's efforts with Rohan Bopanna were one of poor planning and execution. Yet, the heartbreak in Rio 2016 came when Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza, another seasoned campaigner and superstar, collapsed in the bronze medal playoff match. Rohan and Sania served poorly and their medal dream went bust, against the Czechia combine of Radek Stepanek and Lucie Hradecka. Rohan and Sania cried, off the court, quietly.

Sania has retired from tennis, even though she was there at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, in women's doubles, with Ankita Raina, Sadly, Sania and Rohan could not pair in Tokyo due to weak rankings.

This time in Paris, Rohan Bopanna in a new avatar at age 44 is roaring. He has defied age and proved all wrong. Pairing up with Sriram Balaji on the clay courts at Roland Garros, the Indian combine is hopeful of doing well in Paris.

They are playing a few warm-up events as well and Bopanna has stressed, they will be no pushovers. Plenty of planning has gone into this effort from Bopanna's side. And for him to be in the Top 10 of doubles rankings when the cut was applied is a big achievement.

Paris will also be a good hunting ground for the Rockstar of Indian tennis, Sumit Nagal. He may not set the River Seine on fire but his tennis is best suited for clay. Sumit is hard working and his results in 2024 have been mind blowing. He has shown when the body, heart and head are in sync, any opponent can be conquered.

There are shades of Leander in him, he has that same passion. Yes, the tennis field has big guns in fray, headed by Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and romantic hero Rafael Nadal filling the draw sheets. Surely, tennis in Paris 2024 Olympics will be a blockbuster event. Expect some fireworks from the Indians as well. This time, they seem well prepared.