Top 10 all-time highest-ranked Indian players in ATP singles rankings

Vijay Amritraj became the highest-ranked Indian tennis player in July 1980, when he reached the rank of 18.

India has garnered success in team sports such as cricket, hockey and kabaddi. However, when it comes to individual sports and the Olympics, only a few athletes have managed to reach the podium. One such sport Is tennis. From Leander Paes to Rohan Bopanna, the sport has witnessed numerous icons.

Indians have won Grand Slams and all have come either in doubles or mixed doubles. They have also had some impressive figures in singles who shone for a short period, although the success wasn’t as big as we have had in doubles.

In this article, let’s look at the top 10 highest-ranked Indian singles players of all-time in the ATP rankings.

10. Jasjit Singh: 89

Jasjit Singh had written his piece of history by becoming the first Sikh to play for the Indian Davis Cup team. It was not just about being present on the team but also making an impact. In the 1974 Eastern Zone Davis Cup final, Jasjit made a huge contribution by winning the first singles tie against Bob Giltinan.

It was a memorable year for Singh, as he helped India book a place in the finals of the Davis Cup only to forfeit against the apartheid policy of the other finalists South Africa. He reached a career-best ranking of 89, but couldn’t make a bigger impact at Grand Slam events.

9. Yuki Bhambri: 83

Yuki Bhambri has been on the circuit for over a decade but hasn’t been able to make the impact that he would have liked to. The Delhi-born lad shot to fame when he became the first Indian to win the Australian Open Junior Championships in 2009.

His progress was slow yet steady as he entered the top 100 in 2018. But, injuries and improper diagnosis meant that he was out of action for a while. He returned to action in 2021 and since then has mostly played doubles.

8. Prajnesh Gunneswaran: 75

Prajnesh is another talent that Chennai has given to the nation. The southpaw was a rare kind on the Indian tennis circuit because he was a left-hander and stood 6 feet and 2 inches tall. Prajnesh made headlines in 2018, as he won the bronze medal at the Jakarta Asian Games in men’s singles.

Adding a couple of ATP Challenger titles in the same year, he leapfrogged from 243 to 104 in the rankings. He made his debut at all four Grand Slams in 2019 and entered the top 75 in April.

7. Anand Amirtraj: 74

Anand Amirtraj, the younger brother of Vijay Amirtraj, had a win-loss record of 195-170 in singles. His best Grand Slam performance came in 1974 with a third round finish at the US Open and a world ranking of 74. He won seven titles in singles and played a huge role in India’s Davis Cup success in the 1970s.

6. Leander Paes: 73

Leander Paes was one of the greatest doubles players in the game of tennis. He won 18 Grand Slams and reached the finals 34 times, the joint second-most in history. India’s most successful tennis player started tasting success in singles earlier in his career.

His biggest win came at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, when he entered as a wildcard and went on to win the bronze medal. It was India’s first medal in an individual event after 44 years. In 1998, he was 73rd in the singles rankings.

5. Sashi Menon: 71

One of the names that held the Indian flag high during the earlier days of the Open Era was Sashi Menon. He played over 700 matches and won four titles in singles.

It was in the first half of the 1970s, that Menon played his best tennis, reaching a ranking of 71 by October 1975.

4. Sumit Nagal: 71

Sumit Nagal is a primary example of India being a country with plenty of talent. Coming from Haryana, Nagal’s love affair with tennis was known when he won the Wimbledon Junior Doubles Championships in 2015. The teenager turned pro and got the attention of the world when he faced Roger Federer in his Grand Slam debut match at the 2019 US Open.

He won the first set against Federer; however, he lost the match 4-6, 1-6, 2-6, 4-6. The next year, at Flushing Meadows, Nagal registered his first victory at the US Open. 2024 saw him not only register his second win but also become the first Indian in 35 years to beat a seeded player in the Grand Slam singles draw.

At the 2024 Australian Open, Nagal stunned the 31st seed Alexander Bublik in straight sets. Later in the year, he qualified for the main draw at the Monte-Carlo Masters, a feat no Indian had achieved in the last 42 years. His progress has been encouraging, as he reached his career-high ranking of 71. Hopefully, he will enter the top 50 soon.

3. Somdev Devvarman: 63

In 2008, a certain Indian got the attention of everyone when he became the only player to have made three consecutive finals at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Tennis Championships. It was Somdev Devvarman who was seen as a long-awaited answer to India’s quest for a singles Grand Slam.

He started brilliantly, becoming the first Indian Commonwealth Games gold medalist in singles tennis. He followed it up with two more gold medals in the 2010 Asian Games. He reached his career-best ranking of 62 in 2011, but a recurring shoulder injury meant that he couldn’t have a consistent run. It was a lost opportunity for India to make waves.

2. Ramesh Krishnan: 23

Ramesh Krishnan won the Wimbledon Championships and the French Open at the junior level. Although he couldn’t lift a major title as a pro, he did stop the then-World No. 1 and defending champion Mats Wilander, as he ousted him in the second round at the 1989 Australian Open. In January 1985, Krishnan reached his career-best rank of 23.

1. Vijay Amritraj: 18

Probably the greatest singles player India has ever produced in tennis, Vijay Amirtraj is a book to study. The man from Madras reached a career-high ranking of 18, which is the highest by an Indian. In his glorious career, he had wins over legendary names like Bjorn Borg, Rod Laver, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors.

No Grand Slam title was lucky enough to find itself in the hands of Vijay, as reaching the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and the US Open were his best performances.

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