Game: Inheritance
In the 1970s and ’80s, Vijay Amritraj became India’s passport to the tennis world. A US Open and Wimbledon quarter-finalist, he led India to two Davis Cup finals, charmed global audiences as a commentator and actor, and in 1983 received the Padma Shri. Today, as a UN Messenger of Peace and through his foundation, Amritraj turns influence into impact, funding education and basic needs across communities.
Set: The Legacy
Then came Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, the duo that made doubles must-watch TV. Paes, with 18 Grand Slam titles and an Olympic bronze, spent 462 weeks inside the ATP top 10. Bhupathi, the first Indian Grand Slam champion, joined Paes in a 1999 season that saw them reach all four Slam finals.
Together they brought I-formations, fearless poaches, and second-serve audacity into the spotlight, turning doubles into dialogue. Every point a sentence, every switch of formation a twist in the plot. For South Asian fans raised on crowded courts and quick hands, it was both familiar and revolutionary.
Match: The US Open
The 2025 US Open arrives not just as a tournament, but as a cultural crescendo, kicked off on Tuesday, August 19, with the newly revamped mixed doubles tournament, and unfolding into the full main draw from Sunday, August 24 to Sunday, September 7.
With lit courts and expanded sessions stretching into the night, this Slam offers more moments where South Asian talent, rooted in legacy and fueled by ambition, can claim the spotlight.
The US Open
From Vijay Amritraj’s trailblazing spirit, through the doubles mastery of Paes and Bhupathi, to today’s rising names, the arc of South Asian tennis now aligns with the glimmer and gravity of New York’s neon nights. The story isn’t confined to one serve or one match. It’s a continuum, one that begins under Ashe’s glow and extends far beyond, into living rooms, chai conversations, and the next generation of players behind the service line. Because legends aren’t just born. They’re passed on, one rally, one revolution at a time.
And for South Asian Americans watching this year, the names to carry forward are clear: cheer for Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi, making her junior Grand Slam debut, and for Kriish Tyagi, India’s top junior boy stepping onto the US Open stage. They are not just playing matches; they’re playing for a future where South Asian tennis is no longer a footnote, but part of the headline.
Notable too are those shaping the story beyond New York:
Rithvik Choudary Bollipalli: India’s newest doubles force, ranked No. 79, already a four-time ATP champion with history-making wins from Kazakhstan to Santiago.
Shrivalli Bhamidipaty: a Billie Jean King Cup phenom, debuting with a perfect 5-0 record, 38 aces, and the momentum to lift India into the playoffs.
Rohan Bopanna: India's doubles legend at 45, currently ranked No. 51, the oldest-ever ATP World No. 1 (achieved at 43), 26-time ATP champion including history-making Grand Slam wins from Australian Open 2024 to Masters triumphs at Indian Wells and Miami.
Together, this quartet embodies both inheritance and possibility, carrying forward the brilliance of Amritraj, Paes, and Bhupathi while writing the next chapter of South Asian tennis, whether under Ashe’s lights or on red clay half a world away.
Loved this? There’s more brewing every week. ☕