India, Jan. 31 -- On the global tennis landscape, India has increasingly established itself as a nation renowned for its prowess in doubles. This characterization was articulated by Thomas Setodji, the sole ranked player from Togo, during his recent visit to India for the Davis Cup tie in Delhi. India boasts an impressive tally of 33 Grand Slam titles, all achieved in doubles, credited to four iconic players: Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, Sania Mirza, and Rohan Bopanna.

"We recognize that you possess a formidable team, and as I travel, I observe many Indian players, so I am familiar with them all. We understand that the competition will be particularly challenging, especially in doubles, given your reputation as a doubles expert. Therefore, we anticipate a tough match. However, we are prepared and will see how it unfolds on Saturday," Setodji remarked during Togo's press conference at the DLTA complex on Thursday.

Historically, the landscape of Indian tennis was quite different. Before the rise of Paes and Mirza, Vijay Amritraj and Ramesh Krishnan were the pioneers of Indian tennis. Amritraj reached the quarterfinals of four Grand Slam tournaments and secured 15 singles titles, while Krishnan made it to the last eight on three occasions and won eight titles. Notably, India's sole Olympic medal in tennis was earned in singles, with Paes claiming bronze at the Atlanta Games in 1996.

In recent years, players like Somdev Devvarman and currently Sumit Nagal have emerged as specialists in singles. However, the evolving dynamics of the Davis Cup format, coupled with a shortage of emerging talent, has posed challenges for India. Nevertheless, young Karan Singh, selected for his debut Davis Cup match against Togo at home, is determined to demonstrate that India can cultivate stronger singles players.

The 21-year-old from Haryana achieved his first significant victory in 2024 by winning the ATP Challenger doubles title at the Brazzaville Challenger alongside Frenchman Florent Bax. However, in an interview with Hindustan Times, a fan of Rafael Nadal emphasized that his primary focus remains on singles.

"Certainly not doubles. I am a singles player, although I occasionally participate in doubles. My main concentration is on singles."

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