FFITNESSSS
140 (^) JULY 2019
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WRIT TEN BY PRAKASH AMRITRAJ
A
s Vijay Amritraj’s rstborn, I grew
up with a racket in my crib, hearing
legendary stories of how my father did
India proud on the world stage – not
just in terms of tennis achievements,
but in the way he represented the nation and the
hope he gave Indians around the world. By 18,
I’d won the National Junior Championships in
America (becoming the rst Indian to do so) and
had earned entry into the Men’s Singles category
of the US Open. I’d received MVP honours in
the Final of the NCAA Championships as I led
my University of Southern California team to a
national title. Between 2003 and 2008, my tennis
career had seen me rank as India’s No 1 singles
player, reach the Singles Final of an ATP World
Tour Event, represent India in the historic Davis
Cup, as well as compete in all the Grand Slams,
including on the hallowed turf of Wimbledon.
But by 2010, I hadn’t even completed one full year
on the ATP World Tour. My career had been marred
by injuries that kept me from building momentum,
and ate away at my love for the game. After an
injury to my right wrist (I’d already had surgery on