My relationship with Tennis

Many people have expressed their disbelief in how much I like sports, especially tennis. Many fail to understand why I plan my social activities based on the tennis calendar ( yes, that is right- I will happily choose to watch a tennis match at home on my birthday vs. going out), why I get emotionally involved and why I care so much.

The answer to all of these questions is simple- tennis is not just a sport and in general, sport is not just play for me. It signifies something far more special and far more important. Tennis to me, is inexplicably tied to real life. I actually cannot think of a time in my life when I did not watch tennis and my first memory of the sport is admittedly vague- watching Steffi Graf vs. Jana Navotna in the 1993 Wimbledon final as a 3-year-old. While I don't remember the exact details, I do recollect being utterly fascinated by Steffi winning at the end after being 1-4 down in the third set. Of course, I didn't entirely understand the sport then, but seeing the emotions change on my dad's face (probably the biggest Steffi fan ever) was proof enough. Despite being typical Indians in terms of loving cricket, living in Singapore meant that my family couldn't always watch all matches due to TV broadcast constraints and tennis then became the sport that was most watched through the decade we were there. Therefore, I also associate the sport with fond family bonding time.

I started fully understanding the sport when I was about 10 years old. What was so special about tennis is that unlike cricket which someone fully explained to me, I understood every aspect of the game- technical, player history, trivia and the rules entirely by watching and reading just by myself. This is perhaps why I identify with the sport so much and can debate about just about anything on this with anyone for hours. One of the first matches (after 2000) that I remember being enthralled by was the 2001 Wimbledon final. Goran Ivanisevic's fairy tale victory, as a wildcard over Patrick Rafter after having previously lost 3 finals was nothing short of emotional. The clip still remains one of my biggest sources of inspiration to date. Nothing has taught me more about determination and perseverance than tennis.

When I see a match being played, I see more than balls just being hit. I see hard work, discipline, an incredible spirit and an amazing adrenalin rush like nothing else. This only multiplies if there is a player I support playing- however, for me, the sport will always stand above the player. Will I be upset if Rafa loses? Absolutely, I will be heartbroken but if he lost to a better player and we saw an epic match, the match memory would stand out; Wimbledon 2007 and Hamberg Masters when Federer came back from 2 sets down to win are two such examples. One of the biggest criticisms levelled against the game is that it is said to be rather elitist and expensive- and that is right. However, we have also seen many players come against the odds- tennis has been their out of poverty, their way out- The Williams sisters come from one of the most impoverished and violent neighbourhoods in America, Martina Navratilova escaped from the Czech Republic, Ana Ivanovic filled a swimming pool with sand because there were no courts in Serbia etc. There are many such examples. I truly believe that sports are hugely essential for development and sadly something we refuse to utilize in India.

While growing up, one of my biggest regrets was that I was not a good tennis player. I am not even a decent player. While that was hard to digest for a while, it only made me an even more avid follower of the game. People turn to different things for comfort, I turn to tennis. It is my safe space. One of the pinnacles of this process for me was camping out for 28 hours and 56 hours respectively and getting that centre-court ticket at Wimbledon twice. I remember telling my dad that I would watch a match in person as a 10-year-old and his reaction was just a smile. He probably didn't think it would happen but I am so glad it did. I fulfilled a childhood dream on 26th June 2012 and 10th July 2019 and I will never forget how I felt on those days. I had to keep pinching myself to believe it. Similarly, my experience of being at Flushing Meadows is something that I will cherish for life.

So there you have it- this is why I love the sport so much- many of the reasons are not really the glory of the sport. That goes unsaid but it is the unspoken, softer side that gets me hooked. One of the first things I tell a person when I meet them is "I am a huge tennis and sports fan" and that will continue because this is a huge part of who I am and if that is strange, so be it! I will not exchange that high of being at Wimbledon, yelling at my brother because we are on opposite sides in terms of who we support, yelling at the TV, the highs of these memorable wins and the lows of the memorable losses for anything else in the world!

*This blog was first written in 2015 and modified to suit current needs