He was the 'A' in tennis' ABC with Borg & Connors. Now India honours him with Padma Bhushan

A pleasant surprise awaited those who followed sports and games during the 1970s when the honours list was announced on the eve of the 76th Republic Day. Vijay Amritraj, one of the best tennis players produced by India, was included on the list as a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award of the country. Vijay had earlier been awarded the Padma Shri in 1983.

The Amritraj brothers dominated Indian tennis during the 1970s. Anand, the eldest of the lot, was easily the best among the three during their college days, but it was Vijay who adjusted to the intense demands of professional tennis. Ashok, the youngest, was also a good player, reaching the finals of Junior Wimbledon in 1974, but could not replicate this success at the senior level.

Born in 1953 and brought up in Madras (present-day Chennai), the three brothers had an early baptism into the world of tennis, under the watchful eyes of their mother Maggie, a stern disciplinarian. Vijay turned professional while still in his teens and began playing on the top-tier Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) circuit from 1970 onwards. He soon made his mark and climbed the ranks of international tennis to be recognised as one of the rising stars of the game.

Vijay made his mark at the 1973 Wimbledon, where he reached the quarterfinals before losing to Jan Kodes, the eventual champion, in five sets. This achievement was shorn of its lustre because professional players stayed away from this edition of the tournament over a payment dispute. Amongst the others who lost out at the last eight stage that year were Jimmy Connors of the USA and Bjorn Borg of Sweden. Vijay proved that this performance was not a flash in the pan by reaching the last eight stage at the US Open that followed in a few months. This time, Jimmy Connors also figured amongst the losing quarterfinalists.

This series of excellent performances so impressed the international media following this sport that they called Amritraj, Borg and Connors the ABC, who would set the tennis courts alight worldwide over the next decade. Vijay reached the peak of his career when he won the Volvo Masters in July 1973, defeating Jimmy Connors in the final. This victory galvanised the entire nation, and the Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, issued special orders allowing the duty-free import of the Volvo car that was gifted to him for winning this championship.

But, unfortunately, Vijay could not live up to this early promise. Apart from reaching the quarterfinals of the US Open in 1974, he did not have anything substantial to show on the Grand Slam circuit for the rest of the 1970s. He was capable of coming up with the occasional flashes of brilliance, but was unable to achieve the levels of consistency that would have carried him to greatness.

The end result of this inconsistency was that while he was popular with the crowds and considered a dangerous opponent by his compatriots, no one placed bets on Vijay winning a grand slam. This was demonstrated in ample measure in the second-round match against Bjorn Borg at Wimbledon in 1979, where he went down after being two sets up, leading 4-1 in the fourth.

There was one final display of superb tennis from Vijay’s racquet during the 1981 Wimbledon championship, when he reached the last eight stage yet again. This time, the player who defeated him was none other than Jimmy Connors, the eventual champion! There were occasional successes in the ATP circuit after this, the most notable being the title win at Bristol in 1986, where he defeated Henri Leconte of France in the finals. He played for the last time at Wimbledon in 1990, where he failed to reach the second round.

For all his failures and inconsistencies in the professional circuit, Vijay was a veritable lion on the tennis court while playing for India in the Davis Cup. He piloted India to the finals of this championship twice - in 1974 and 1987. He used to win both his singles matches and formed an effective doubles pair with his brother Anand, thus guiding the nation to one success after another. The nation could see his brilliance in full flow when India took on a full-strength Swedish side, comprising Mats Wilander, Anders Jarryd, Joakim Nystrom and Stefan Edberg at Bangalore in 1985. Vijay defeated Wilander and gave a tough fight to Jarryd before going down in the fifth set. India could salvage some pride from this tie only due to the stout-hearted show put up by Vijay.

Vijay was a classic grass-court player, with serve-and-volley as the pillars of his game. This helped him to do well on hard courts as well. But he found himself out of sorts on clay courts, as his game was not suited for staying on the baseline and having long rallies. He did not take part in the French Open championship even once, which showed how much he disliked clay courts!

Vijay was an excellent brand ambassador not only for the sport but also for the nation. Always immaculately attired and sporting a toothy smile, he won admirers the world over for his splendid manners and the dignity with which he conducted himself on and off the court. He never challenged a referee's decision, nor did he throw any tantrums on the court. He was the epitome of a perfect gentleman, who played the game in the proper spirit. This occasionally led to snide remarks about “being soft” and “not possessing the killer instinct”, but Vijay refused to change his approach and remained a beacon of good manners and sportsmanship throughout his playing days.

Vijay’s handsome demeanour and chiselled features caught the notice of Hollywood producers, and he made his debut in the tinsel world in the James Bond movie “Octopussy”, which was released in 1983. He also had a short role in the 1986 production “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home”.

After his playing days were over, he starred in many TV shows and series and was also a judge for the Miss Universe pageant. Presently, he is settled in California and runs a media business.

Congratulations, Vijay Amritraj, on being awarded the Padma Bhushan! You brought joy and pride to millions of Indians by your performances on the tennis court. This honour bestowed on you is a just reward of a grateful nation.