Introduction to the Oldest Tennis Tournament in India
The All India Lawn Tennis Association (AILTA) is the governing body for lawn tennis in India. It has been organizing the oldest tennis tournament in India since 1885. The tournament is known as the National Championship and is held once every year. It is the longest running tournament in the history of Indian tennis and is the most prestigious event in the sport.
History of the National Championship
The National Championship was first held in 1885 in Bombay (Mumbai). It was then known as the All-India Championships. It was started by the Bombay Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA). The tournament was open to all players who were members of the BLTA. It was a singles tournament and the winner was crowned the All-India Champion.
In 1901, the tournament was renamed the National Championships and was opened to all players from all parts of India. It was held at Calcutta (Kolkata). The tournament was then split into singles and doubles events.
In 1910, the tournament was opened up to foreign players and it was renamed the National Championships of India. The tournament has since been held in various cities across India.
Format of the National Championship
The National Championship is a three-day event and is divided into three stages. The first stage is the qualifying round, which is held for two days. Players who qualify for the second stage are eligible to compete in the main draw. The main draw consists of 32 players who compete in a best-of-five set format. The winner of the tournament is crowned the All-India Champion.
Notable Winners of the National Championship
The National Championship has been won by some of India’s most famous players. Some of the notable winners of the tournament include:
- Ramanathan Krishnan, who won the tournament in 1951, 1952, 1953, and 1954.
- Vijay Amritraj , who won the tournament in 1971, 1973, and 1974.
- Leander Paes, who won the tournament in 1991, 1992, and 1993.
- Mahesh Bhupathi , who won the tournament in 1996, 1997, and 1998.
- Sania Mirza, who won the tournament in 2003, 2004, and 2005.
Venues of the National Championship
The National Championship has been held in various cities across India. Some of the notable venues of the tournament include:
- Bombay (Mumbai), where the tournament was first held in 1885.
- Calcutta (Kolkata), where the tournament was held from 1901 to 1930.
- Delhi, where the tournament was held from 1931 to 1940.
- Bangalore (Bengaluru), where the tournament was held from 1941 to 1950.
- Chennai (Madras), where the tournament was held from 1951 to 1960.
- Pune, where the tournament was held from 1961 to 1970.
- Ahmedabad, where the tournament was held from 1971 to 1980.
- Hyderabad, where the tournament was held from 1981 to 1990.
- Mumbai, where the tournament has been held since 1991.
Recent Winners of the National Championship
The last few years have seen some of the most exciting tennis matches in the history of the National Championship. Some of the recent winners of the tournament include:
- Yuki Bhambri, who won the tournament in 2011 and 2012.
- Saketh Myneni, who won the tournament in 2013 and 2014.
- Somdev Devvarman, who won the tournament in 2015 and 2016.
- Rohan Bopanna, who won the tournament in 2017 and 2018.
- Ramkumar Ramanathan, who won the tournament in 2019.
Popularity of the National Championship
The National Championship is one of the most popular tennis tournaments in India. It attracts a large number of fans who come to watch the matches. The tournament has also gained international attention, with players from around the world competing in it.
Conclusion
The All India Lawn Tennis Association (AILTA) has been organizing the oldest tennis tournament in India since 1885. The tournament is known as the National Championship and is held once every year. It is the longest running tournament in the history of Indian tennis and is the most prestigious event in the sport. The tournament has been won by some of India’s most famous players and has been held in various cities across India. The tournament is one of the most popular tennis tournaments in India and has gained international attention.