In difficult times, it is natural to fall back on good memories.
Vishnu Vardhan competed in his maiden Grand Slam main draw in Wimbledon in 2018, and he cherishes it dearly.
Among best memories
“It was one of the best memories of my tennis career — playing my debut Grand Slam main draw in Wimbledon with Sriram Balaji, one of my closest friends, and winning a match with my family watching,” recalled the 32-year-old Vishnu, who represented the country in the London Olympics with Leander Paes.
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This season, Vishnu was playing his second professional tournament in Kolkata in March, before the tournament was cancelled midway by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).
“I actually was having a terrible cough at that time. That was when there were some initial cases of COVID-19 in India, just before the WHO called it a pandemic. The players in the tournament were very concerned about my cough. Luckily, it was a regular cough and I recovered soon. I was ready to get tested, but the doctor assured me that it was normal, as I did not have any other symptoms,” recalled Vishnu.
Vishnu is confident that India will control the virus soon, and suggests a national circuit to revive tennis.
“It will be a great opportunity to revive the national circuit. We can have all the top-ranked players in the country competing in the tournaments,” he said.
Now, he is happy spending time with his two-year-old son Siddhartha, and helping his wife Sonia bake some “amazing cakes”.
“Being home has been fine for me. My dad (Jagadeesan) and Sonia are the designated people to go out and buy the essentials. So, I have been completely home,” said Vishnu.
“We have breakfast together. When Siddhartha goes to my parents’ place [on a different floor], I get a workout. We both enjoy our long afternoon naps, which was never in my schedule. In the evening, we go to the terrace, watch the sunset and water the plants,” said Vishnu.
