Ramesh Krishnan won the Wimbledon and French Open boys’ singles titles in 1979, rose to No. 23 in the world and won eight ATP singles titles. A touch player with exceptional ball control, he reached three Grand Slam quarter-finals, beat the world No. 1 Mats Wilander at the 1989 Australian Open and was a central figure in India’s run to the 1987 Davis Cup final.
Name: Ramesh Krishnan | Born: 5 June 1961, Madras (now Chennai) | Sport: Tennis | Event: Singles and doubles
A tennis family in Madras
Ramesh is the son of Ramanathan Krishnan, who reached the Wimbledon semi-finals twice in the 1960s and was India’s leading player of his era. He grew up around the game in Madras and developed the same style his father was known for: smooth strokes, clever placement and very little wasted effort. He never relied on power. Instead he took the ball early, changed pace and angle, and drew errors from opponents who were physically stronger.
Junior world No. 1
In 1979 he won the boys’ singles at both the French Open and Wimbledon and finished the year as the world’s No. 1 junior. The Wimbledon junior title was a family echo: his father had won the same event in 1954, making them a rare father-and-son pair of Wimbledon boys’ champions. Ramesh turned professional soon afterwards.
Eight ATP titles
His first tour title came in Manila in 1981, and over the next decade he won eight singles titles in all: Manila (1981), Stuttgart (1982), Metz (1984), Tokyo and Hong Kong (both 1986), Wellington (1988), Auckland (1989) and Schenectady (1990). In Hong Kong in 1986 he beat Andrés Gómez in the final. On 28 January 1985 he reached his career-high ranking of No. 23. He finished his career with 319 singles wins against 285 losses.
Grand Slam quarter-finals
Krishnan reached the quarter-finals of the US Open in 1981 and again in 1987, and the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 1986. Grass and fast hard courts suited his game, rewarding his anticipation and his ability to redirect pace. His most famous win came at the 1989 Australian Open, where he beat the world No. 1 and defending champion Mats Wilander in the second round.
Krishnan was above all a singles player. His doubles record of 36 wins and 69 losses on the tour shows where his focus lay, and his eight titles came from a style that relied on timing and reading the game. He won tournaments in Asia, Europe, New Zealand and the United States, and his title in Schenectady in 1990 came when he was nearing 30.
The 1987 Davis Cup final
Krishnan was one of the leaders of the India team that reached the Davis Cup final in 1987, under the captaincy of Vijay Amritraj. India beat Australia 3-2 in the semi-final, a result that sent them into only their third final. In the final against Sweden in Gothenburg, India lost 5-0, with Krishnan beaten in his singles rubbers by Wilander and Anders Järryd, but reaching the final against such a strong Swedish side was the high point of Indian Davis Cup tennis for that generation.
Olympics, captaincy and recognition
At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics he partnered a young Leander Paes in the men’s doubles and reached the quarter-finals. After retiring he stayed close to the game, and in January 2007 he was appointed India’s Davis Cup captain. The Government of India awarded him the Padma Shri in 1998.
The Krishnans are one of the defining families of Indian tennis. Ramanathan took India into the Davis Cup Challenge Round in 1966; his son took them back to the final 21 years later, and both did it with a style built on skill rather than force.
Career record and honours
- Boys’ singles champion: French Open and Wimbledon, 1979; world No. 1 junior, 1979
- Career-high singles ranking: No. 23 (28 January 1985)
- ATP singles titles (8): Manila 1981, Stuttgart 1982, Metz 1984, Tokyo 1986, Hong Kong 1986, Wellington 1988, Auckland 1989, Schenectady 1990
- Grand Slam best: quarter-finals, Wimbledon 1986, US Open 1981 and 1987
- Beat world No. 1 Mats Wilander, Australian Open 1989
- Davis Cup finalist with India, 1987
- 1992 Barcelona Olympics: men’s doubles quarter-finalist with Leander Paes
- India Davis Cup captain from 2007
- Singles win-loss record: 319-285
- Padma Shri: 1998
