Naresh Kumar: Davis Cup stalwart, mentor to generations of players

Indian tennis stalwart Naresh Kumar, who was part of a memorable phase in Indian Davis Cup history and later mentor to the country’s players cutting through generations in and beyond his capacity as Cup captain, died in Kolkata on Wednesday. He was 93. He is survived by his wife Sunita, two daughters and a son.

Born in Lahore in 1928, Kumar represented India in 17 Davis Cup ties, notching up an overall 26-20 win-loss record after making his debut in December 1952 against Italy. Three years later, he reached the fourth round of the 1955 Wimbledon in singles, losing to eventual champion Tony Trabert of USA.

He was also a four-time doubles quarter-finalist at the All England Club, in 1953, 1955 and 1958 partnering Ramanathan Krishnan with whom he also forged a strong partnership in Davis Cup.

“I met Naresh for the first time way back in 1950. We travelled together during the early part of my career playing several memorable matches as partners,” said Ramanathan, 85, a two-time Wimbledon singles semi-finalist.

“His relationship with my father goes a long way back,” Ramesh Krishnan, Ramanathan’s son and a three-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist, said. “I've known him all along. He is one of those rare people who qualify as my father's friend and also my friend. We had our own equation. That's how unique he was.”

Playing his last Davis Cup tie in 1960 and donning the hat of non-playing captain thereafter, Kumar mentored and guided the careers of several players. The Dronacharya awardee was “mentor” to Jaidip Mukerjea, 80, and a key figure in the rise of Leander Paes after blooding him in Davis Cup as a teenager.

Mukerjea said the iconic Calcutta South Club becoming the nursery of Indian tennis had a lot to do with Kumar. “He started the tradition. We all watched him there, wanted to emulate him,” Mukerjea, who made his Davis Cup debut with Kumar as captain and also played doubles with him, said.

“Me and the likes of Premjit Lall grew up learning tennis at the club, and he was always there helping us with anything we wanted. He would play with us, encourage us.”

Ramesh termed Kumar a “total package”; he was also a successful businessman and tennis commentator, whose neat summing up of matches on radio during Wimbledon in his distinct soft voice was popular.

“He was passionate about tennis. He was involved with tennis but also very successful in business. He could bridge the gap very well. If a tennis player needed some funds or financial help, he could always put them in touch. He made it very seamless and was very good off the court also—he communicated very well and had good connections. He lived in style. There was a class about him,” Ramesh, 61, said.

For Mukerjea, Kumar was a “great contributor for tennis in the country”. “He touched a lot of players. He was a good listener. He was a good soul, a good man at heart, a genuine person. I learnt a lot from him, not just as a player but as a person too.”

Mukherjea recalled meeting Kumar at South Club's centenary celebrations in January 2020 in Kolkata attended by the young and old of Indian tennis—from Ramanathan to Mahesh Bhupathi. “We had called all the ex-players who had played there,” Mukherjea said. “It was a nice little get-together, a lot of bonhomie and going down memory lane. He (Kumar) was the senior-most player among us. He spoke about his matches in the club even then. Such good memories.”

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