There was a rare glimmer of hope in mid-September when Dhakshineswar Suresh defied his rank of over 600 (629) to help India beat Switzerland in the Davis Cup by upsetting the then 155th seed Jerome Kym in straight sets in the opening rubber in Biel.
In a vast country experiencing strong growth in many sporting disciplines, the prospect of generating a crop of world-class singles players who can compete regularly at the Grand Slams seems like a distant dream.
Suresh Kumar Sonachalam, a seasoned coach with over 30 years of experience, has a few ideas to improve the situation, some of which find a place in his book ‘The Invisible Opponent’.
At the recent Fenesta National Tennis Championship in Delhi, it was Suresh’s students, Manish Sureshkumar and Keerthivassan Suresh, who took part in the men’s final.
“It was a proud and surreal moment when two of my students participated in the national finals,” said Suresh, director of Chennai Tennis Centre. “It was the culmination of years of hard work by both of them, my academy partner R. Balaji and our team of coaches and trainers.
“In a country with numerous academies and fierce competition, it validates our system and proves that our focused, player-centric approach delivers results. The pride is not just in the victory but also in the quality of tennis, grit and sportsmanship they showed,” Suresh added.
Tamil Nadu has a history of producing top players. Last year’s men’s titlist at the Nationals was Rethin Pranav, a junior player from the state, who entered the draw as a lucky loser.
“It was a testament to Rethin’s incredible mental toughness. It is a quality we are working tirelessly on. Tamil Nadu has a strong competitive structure at the junior level, apart from a deep-rooted tennis culture and a growing number of coaches who are passionate about developing homegrown talent.”
“We focus on building a solid technical, mental, physical and tactical foundation from an early age, allowing players to transition smoothly to the higher ranks,” said Suresh.
Keerthivassan Suresh. | Photo credit: special arrangement
Manish and Keerthivassan’s growth has impressed Suresh.
“Manish is a consummate professional. His handling of pressure and ability to focus intensely in every match is exemplary. He has a complete game, but to propel himself to the next international stage, the key will be to be more relaxed in matches and feel free to go for his shots and not be too conservative,” Suresh opined.
Keerthivassan’s run to the final of the qualifying event may have come as a surprise to many, but Suresh said the boy’s work ethic had pushed the team to have confidence in his abilities.
“He has defeated many good players. I was not surprised by his fight, but I was especially pleased with his physical and mental endurance. Going into long, grueling matches and coming back strong is a testament to the spirit of a champion.”
“We are making some changes in his game to make him more effective when he moves to the higher levels. He weighs just 56 kilograms. We expect him to develop over the next two years, and only then will he be able to realize his potential,” Suresh pointed out.
The Indian doubles players now compete against each other regularly at the Slams and the other major events. But Suresh felt that singles players should also be exposed to a dose of doubles to accelerate their growth as competitors.
“Doubles is extremely important for the growth of a tennis player,” said Suresh. “Manish lost a thrilling doubles final in the National Championship, and the experience was invaluable. Doubles sharpens net play, return of serve and reflexes. It teaches players the art of dealing with pressure in crucial short-point situations and improves their tactical awareness.
“It’s physically demanding, but the benefits to a player’s overall singles game are enormous. In my opinion, full development is non-negotiable.”
When he was young, Suresh was skilled at cricket, hockey and badminton, but became consumed with tennis when his father presented him with a racket. He took a five-year graduate law course and competed in tennis at the national level, reaching No. 11 in the country. He was in the top three in Tamil Nadu for a number of years.
Coaching became part of his resume when he and his good friend VN Prem Prakash were offered a center to be run by their coach BN Swamy. Suresh, 59, has completed the ITF High Performance Course in Spain and regularly presents papers at global conferences to share his knowledge.
He has a holistic vision of not only creating champions on the court, but also developing well-rounded individuals through tennis. He also makes it a point to keep the game affordable so that “middle-class kids can continue to play without feeling the pinch.”
Right now, Suresh is focusing on releasing the first in a series of books that aim to provide clarity on how to structure your game and what path a player should take.
“A practice champion falls apart in matches,” Suresh said. “A technically skilled junior cannot close sets. An adult player struggles despite hours of practice. The general diagnosis is not mentally tough. But the problem is poor decision-making.”
“Tennis matches are won by the player who makes better decisions under pressure, who recognizes situations accurately, chooses appropriate responses, devotes himself fully to those choices and adapts when necessary.”
Suresh pointed out that the most crucial aspect of decision-making is rarely discussed as part of a player’s systematic training.
“Players spend thousands of hours developing technique and fitness, while it is believed that the skill that determines match outcomes – decision-making – develops automatically with experience,” he noted.
Suresh also believes that a structured competition path is an urgent need for Indian tennis. According to him, the country should organize at least 30 tournaments at the ITF level every year, for both men and women.
“If we can organize these 30 weeks of tournaments over the next three to four years, we are confident of having at least 15 players in the top 400. If we then organize seven to 10 Challenger events, almost 20 players will benefit. This would help about 10 players get into the top 200 in the next two or three years,” he said.
Despite the many academies and good coaches throughout India, the European and American systems – also expensive – are still considered superior.
“This is a perception problem, rooted in history. While European and American academies have their merits, we now have the infrastructure and expertise in India. The gap is closing. The change will come when our players, trained in India, start consistently making it to the top of the world. Success will build belief,” said Suresh.
One way to strengthen the Indian coaching ecosystem would be to make coaching training a continuous process rather than a one-time certification, he explained.
“Most candidates who take the coaches course are only aiming for the certification to get a job, and are not looking to improve their knowledge. Encouraging a culture of knowledge sharing among coaches and integrating the latest sports science into our curriculum are crucial steps. We need to professionalize coaching as a career to attract and retain the best minds.”
“It’s about creating a system that produces a continuous generation of world-class players and not one-off champions. They will also be great ambassadors for the sport and our country,” he signed off.
#Matches #won #decisions