He makes no bones about the problem at hand though. Indian tennis is in a limbo and the current dispensation doesn’t seem equipped or inclined to make amends, Bhupathi claims.

Somdev Devvarman and Purav Raja are already in a lengthening legal battle with the AITA, accusing the federation of being a “serial offender” in violating the Sports Code. Questions of accountability and transparency continue to be asked, and the national circuit stands affected.

The tennis contingent’s dismal showing at the Asian Games, from where India returned without a tennis medal for the first time in 40 years, is proof enough of a grave decline, according to the 52-year-old.

Sumit Nagal crashed out in the singles quarterfinals, while the likes of Yuki Bhambri and N. Sriram Balaji flattered to deceive in men’s doubles and mixed doubles respectively. With Nagal already aged 29 and Dhakshineswar Suresh ranked 421 in the world, there is no big ray of hope for the Doha 2030 Games either.

“The first step is to become dominant in Asia, then the world,” Bhupathi underlines. But for that, there needs to be a pipeline of talent starting at the grassroots.

“Where are the players? Do we see anybody in the Grand Slams?” he asks.

He is referring to the lack of Indians in the singles main draw of Majors. Nagal last featured at the Australian Open in 2025 and besides him and Prajnesh Gunneswaran (till 2020), there is nobody from the current generation of players who have threatened to get into tennis’ biggest events.

Bhupathi is of the opinion that instead of focusing on a better structure and quality of tournaments in India, the emphasis should be on developing players who can compete at the highest level.

As he puts it, “There is no point in having a hundred tournaments when there are no players.”