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Journalism of Courage
The only time Indian tennis had a brush with Olympic glory was way back in 1996, when Leander Paes won the bronze at the Atlanta Games. Hoping to change that scenario, the All India Tennis Association (AITA) has hired Doug MacCurdy, formerly associated with the Chinese Tennis Association and the United States Tennis Association, to lend a hand in player development.
For two years, MacCurdy has witnessed the development of tennis in China, which now has three women ranked within the top 100 on the WTA tour. “China has traditionally been very strong in racket sport—badminton, table tennis—and now they’re making their presence felt in tennis. They also have an extremely effective work culture. The blueprint we had worked out for Chinese tennis worked, and I hope it succeeds in India as well,” said MacCurdy.
The program formally starts in January next year, and it will work in conjunction with the AITA, the International Tennis Federation, International Olympic Committee and the Indian Olympic Association. MacCurdy will be in the country for 22 weeks, designing the desired approach.
“I am looking at setting up a system for tennis development. I will be visiting tennis academies to evaluate the system of instruction and spend time with the coaches. The evaluation of the national team will also be a priority. International tennis education is required to compete with the best, and we will have experts visiting,” he said.
MacCurdy added: “The nature of the game has changed. The clay court game is one that helps every aspect of a tennis player; it builds mental and physical endurance. There are very few clay courts in India, but they are vital. Another thing I have observed in the past few days is that the financial burden on aspiring players is huge. If one wants to make it big, one needs to play all over the world, and the maximum clay courts are in Europe. A closed Asian tournament is required, and it doesn’t make a difference if the ATP is part of it or not,” he said, echoing comments made by AITA president Anil Khanna a short while ago.
“European players have it easy because they can just drive down to countries around them and get the necessary exposure. Serbia has been enjoying a tennis boom. It’s a small country, with no infrastructure, and hardly a national association. But players are not very far from better tennis training centres in Europe.”
MacCurdy likes what he sees in the young Indians: “I watched Yuki Bhambri when he was playing in the under-14 circuit last year, and even then it was evident he has outstanding talent and a good tennis attitude. He has improved a lot over the last one year. There is a great deal of difference in junior success and the top level of professional tennis, but it can be done.”
