We are living in the times of Carlos Alcaraz, but Atul Premnarayen is a veteran Indian tennis broadcaster who has covered the prestigious Grand Slam circuit since 1980 and took time out to share his thoughts and experiences exclusively for the Free Press Journal. Premnarayen was of the opinion the game has changed immensely since the time he started in 1980. “The game has changed drastically.
When you talk of Grand Slams like Wimbledon, French Open, US Open. You talk of the best players in their best form giving the best results. But Grand Slams are the biggest sporting fortnight in the whole world.
50,000 come everyday, seven and a half lakh people come in a fortnight at all Grand Slams. The heartbeat and pulse of the tennis world. Once in a lifetime player like Roger Federer.
" "When it was Borg and McEnroe, Borg was called one of the great tennis stars. No volley, no big serve. Wimbledon was big serve and volley.
Borg showed staying at the baseline. Fitness became a very big thing. The best TV stations across the world were there.
Games became about long rallies, great shot-making, big serves,’’ he reminisced. Premnarayen recalled with vivid memory broadcasting the iconic 1980 Wimbledon final between John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg. “You cannot go to Wimbledon without talking about strawberries and creams.
That one match was the strawberry and cream of my life till today.” "Carlos Ferrero made sure Carlos Alcaraz was very fit" - Atul Premnarayen Premnarayen offered his thoughts on the current sensation Alcaraz. “Alcaraz’s coach is Juan Carlos Ferrero and he won a beautiful title at the French Open in 2003.
Ferrero made sure Alcaraz was very fit and he had the game of Rafael Nadal. He can glide on the court. Alcaraz’s strength is focus, concentration and dream to sit on the same table as Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
” Premnarayen heaped praise on Indian tennis legends Vijay Amritraj and Leander Paes after their induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. The second title, just as special as the first ✨ Carlos Alcaraz reflects on his 2024 Championships victory 👏 #Wimbledon | @carlosalcaraz pic.twitter.
com/6zNaVi7kLD “In 1993, India played France in a Davis Cup match in Frejus, France. I was the only media man broadcasting on radio and broadcasting on television. They played in a bullring kind of a tennis court.
I asked Henri Laconte, the captain of the French Davis Cup team after practice. What do you think of the match?..
He said..”what match?.
We are going to win it tomorrow itself after the match. He said yes. Believe you my friend.
I watched that match and commentated on that match, wrote on the match. India won 3-2. Leander won the singles, Lee and Ramesh Krishnan won the doubles, Ramesh won the final singles and India beat them 3-2.
I was absolutely dazed by India’s beautiful performance and more importantly Leander and Mahesh Bhupathi have 20-odd matches at the Davis Cup without a loss,’’ Premnarayen recollected. The veteran commentator also elaborated on Paes’ intensity in Davis Cup matches. “Leander in Davis Cup gave his life for the flag in a match.
He has done the same at the US Open and even John McEnroe has won five Davis Cup titles for his country. Leander himself has beaten Goran Ivanisevic in Delhi at the NSCI. He has won 40-45 singles matches in Davis Cup.
He was an absolute leopard like player on the court. In Newport at the Hall Of Fame ceremony, Martina Navratilova said India’s Leander Paes was her greatest mixed doubles partner." "No Indian star has come up to world standards playing only in India" - Atul Premnarayen on Indian Tennis However, Premnarayen sounded a word of caution about the future of Indian tennis.
“Things are very dim right now. You see Sumit Nagal is ranked 68 th in the world. He has to play always outside the country.
No Indian star has come up to world standards playing only in India. You have to play abroad. You have to play more tournaments which will fetch you points and get you into Grand Slams.
Then you are playing the best players in the best tennis courts in the best matches of your life." OLYMPICS DRAW: 🇮🇳SUMIT NAGAL TO TAKE ON 🇫🇷CORENTIN MOUTET ➡️ 80th ranked @nagalsumit will take on 68th ranked Corentin Moutet in the 1st round of the Men's Singles at the Paris Olympics ➡️ Nagal has a 2-2 H2H against him but playing the French players in France is a big..
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com/UZcKqDuGR4 "In India you will not get that type of practice and coaching, so that aspect needs to improve a lot. You go to Switzerland, England, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria and Serbia. You see all those tennis stars coming out from those tennis academies.
Unless, you have that exposure." Once Jimmy Connors said, “You hit a million tennis balls and then you can call yourself a tennis player.” Premnareyen reiterated that the 1980 Wimbledon final was the absolute high point of his career.
“It was the 1980 Wimbledon final. John McEnroe vs Bjorn Borg. That glamour on the court, spirit on the court would bring any dead man alive to watch the greatest tussle of a lifetime.
That moment 18-16 tie-breaker, McEnroe winning it eventually was something else.”.
