‘It feels like a dream’: India M50 make history at 2024 World Champs
It was a historic week for ITF Masters Tennis in India and Asia at the 2024 ITF Masters World Team Championships (50-60) in Mexico City, Mexico.
After defeating the top seeds France, Canada, and Türkiye in the round robin stage, India defeated No. 4 seeds Great Britain to reach the final of the Fred Perry Cup (M50+).
In doing so, the M50+ India team became the first team from India to reach the finals of the ITF Masters World Team Championships and only the second team from Asia to achieve this (after M70+ Japan in 2004).
Although India lost to No. 3 seeds Italy in the final, the significance of their achievement was not lost on the history-making quartet of Nitten Kirrtane, Ajit Maruti Sail, Hatinder Panwar, and captain Jagdish Tanwar.
“We are thrilled to be the first team from India to reach the finals of the ITF Masters World Team Championships,” Kirrtane told itftennis.com.
“Although we were drawn in the same group as France, we remained positive and hoped to do well. To be part of this historic run for our nation is an amazing feeling.”
Kirrtane believes that his team’s achievements at this year’s World Team Championships will have a positive impact on Masters tennis not only in India but the region of Asia more broadly.
“We believe this will increase the popularity of Masters tennis in Asia and encourage more teams from Asia to enter World Championships," he said.
The timing of India’s surprising and historic run could not have been better given the ITF’s goal to boost participation and foster growth across Asia. Indeed, Japan will host the ITF Masters 45+ World Team and Individual Championships later this year and this will mark the first time that an ITF Masters World Championships will be held in Asia.
Rakesh Kohli, a member of the ITF Masters Player Panel, added: “The achievements of our M50+ team would not have been possible without the increased tournament opportunities in India. Our players are now able to rub shoulders with the best in business.”
What Kohli refers to is the surge in the number of ITF Masters tournaments held in India in recent years. Although the history of Masters tennis in India stretches back to 2001, there was just a handful of tournaments in India each year over the last two decades. As recently as 2019, there were just four tournaments in India.
This began to change in 2021, when 14 tournaments were held in India. This increased to 24 in 2022 and a record 25 tournaments in 2023. More broadly, the number of ITF Masters tournaments has risen considerably between 2022 when there were 39 tournaments and 2023 when there were 59.
With such focus on this region, it will surely not be another ten years before we see a team from Asia reach a final, if not win, the ITF Masters World Team Championships. Indeed, losing in the final has only motivated India to go one step further and create more history next year. Jagdish Tanwar said, “Reaching the final motivates us for next year to try and win the gold medal”.