Matches are won by those who make better decisions

Indian tennis’ growth has been slow and it is struggling to have impressive numbers. The best ranked men’s singles player is Sumit Nagal at 277. The next best is Aryan Shah at 415. Among women, Sahaja Yamalapalli and Shrivalli Bhamidipaty are the top-two at 306 and 401 respectively.

There was a rare ray of hope in mid-September when Dhakshineswar Suresh defied his 600-plus rank (629) to help India beat Switzerland in the Davis Cup by upsetting the then 155th-ranked Jerome Kym in straight sets in the opening rubber in Biel.

In a vast country that is growing strong across many sports disciplines, the prospect of generating a string of world-class singles players who can regularly compete in the Grand Slams looks a distant dream.

Suresh Kumar Sonachalam, a seasoned coach with over 30 years’ experience, has a few ideas to improve the situation, some of which find a place in his book ‘The Invisible Opponent’.

In fact, in the recent Fenesta National Tennis Championship in Delhi, it was Suresh’s students, Manish Sureshkumar and Keerthivassan Suresh, who competed in the men’s final.

“It was a proud and surreal moment, having two of my students compete in the National final,” said Suresh, the Director of Chennai Tennis Centre. “It was a 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 countless academies and fierce competition, it validates our system and proves that our focused, player-centric approach yields results. The pride is not just in the victory, but in the quality of tennis, the grit and the sportsmanship they displayed,” added Suresh.

Tamil Nadu has a history of producing top-notch players. In fact, 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 resilience. It is a quality we tirelessly work 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 home-grown talent.

“We focus on building a solid technical, mental, physical and tactical foundation from a young age, allowing players to transition smoothly into the senior ranks,” observed Suresh.

The growth of Manish and Keerthivassan has impressed Suresh.

“Manish is a consummate professional. His handling of pressure and his ability to focus intensely throughout 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 from the qualifying event may have been a surprise for many, but Suresh said that the boy’s work ethic had spurred the team to have faith in his abilities.

“He has already beaten many good players. I was not surprised by his fight, but I was especially happy with his physical and mental stamina. To handle long, gruelling matches and come back strong shows a champion’s spirit.

“We are making some changes to his game to make him more effective when he moves to the higher levels. He weighs only 56 kilograms. We expect him to build up over the next two years, and only then will he be able to realise his potential,” stressed Suresh.

The Indian doubles players now compete regularly at the Slams and the other big events. But Suresh felt that singles players should also be exposed to a dose of doubles to speed up their growth as competitors.

“Doubles is extremely important for the growth of a tennis player,” Suresh said. “Manish lost a close 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 handling pressure in crucial, short-point situations and improves their tactical awareness.

“It is physically demanding, but the benefits to a player’s overall singles game are immense. In my opinion, it is non-negotiable for complete development.”

When young, Suresh was adept at cricket, hockey and badminton, but was consumed by tennis when his father presented him with a racquet. He did a five-year graduation course in Law, and competed in tennis at the National level, reaching No. 11 in the country. He was in the Tamil Nadu top-three for several years.

Coaching became part of his resume when he and his close friend V.N. Prem Prakash were offered a centre to run by their coach B.N. Swamy. Suresh, 59, has completed ITF’s High Performance Course in Spain, and regularly presents papers in global conferences to share his knowledge.

He has a holistic vision of not just making champions on court but developing well-rounded individuals through tennis. He also makes it a point to keep the game affordable so that “middle-class children can continue playing without feeling the pinch”.

At the moment, Suresh is focused on bringing out the first in a series of books that aim to lend clarity on how to structure one’s game and the pathway for a player to follow.

“A practice champion falls apart in matches,” said Suresh. “A technically proficient junior can’t close out sets. An adult player struggles despite hours of practice. The common diagnosis — not mentally tough. But the problem is poor decision-making.

“Tennis matches are won by the player who makes better decisions under pressure, who recognises situations accurately, chooses appropriate responses, commits fully to those choices and adapts when needed.”

Suresh pointed out that the most crucial aspect of decision-making rarely gets discussed as part of a player’s systematic training.

“Players spend thousands of hours developing technique and fitness while the skill that determines match outcomes — decision-making — is assumed to develop automatically through experience,” he noted.

Suresh is equally of the belief that a structured competition pathway is an urgent need for Indian tennis. According to him, the country needs to host at least 30 ITF-level tournaments each for men and women every year.

“If we can run these 30 weeks of tournaments for the next three to four years, we are sure to have at least 15 players ranked in the top-400. If we then conduct seven to 10 Challenger events, then close to 20 players will benefit. This would help about 10 players to get into the top-200 rank in the next two or three years,” he said.

Despite many academies and good coaches across India, the European and American systems — also expensive — are still looked at as superior.

“This is a perception issue, rooted in history. While European and American academies have their merits, we now have the infrastructure and expertise in India. The gap is shrinking. The change will come when our players, trained in India, start breaking into the top levels of the world consistently. Success will build faith,” Suresh stated.

One way of strengthening the Indian coaching ecosystem would be to make coaches’ education a continuous process rather than a one-time certification, he explained.

“Most of the candidates who attend the coaches’ course are aiming only for the certification in order to get jobs, and 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 professionalise coaching as a career to attract and retain the best minds.

“It is 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.