Mumbai: There was a time when Davis Cup ties would spark excitement on Indian tennis courts, even during quieter periods. Think of the exhilarating victory over Brazil in 1966 or the remarkable comeback from 0-2 down against the same opponents in 2010. Recall the magical moments crafted by legends like the Krishnans and the Amritrajs, or the electrifying chest-bumping celebrations of Paes and Bhupathi.

“We were considered a formidable opponent by any nation due to our performances,” reminisced Ramanathan Krishnan, a two-time Wimbledon singles semifinalist, in a 2021 interview with HT.

Even when Indian tennis faced lulls in individual presence on the professional tour, it often experienced collective highs in Davis Cup competitions. However, this occasional brilliance has given way to persistent gloom. India has fallen from being three-time Davis Cup finalists to struggling to stay afloat in lower groups. The once mighty opponents are now easily outplayed by teams like Sweden. More troubling are the frequent disputes, finger-pointing, no-shows, and general apathy surrounding Indian tennis’ current Davis Cup scenario.

Following a 4-0 defeat by Sweden last weekend, things took an even darker turn. The team’s captain told critics to “shut up,” the federation blamed some players, and Sumit Nagal, India’s only top-100 singles player, defended his physical issues and compensation demands.

The breakdown within the player-team management-federation ecosystem is so severe that for the second consecutive tie this year, India couldn’t field even a second-string team. Top players like Nagal, Sasikumar Mukund, and Yuki Bhambri were absent from the Sweden contest, either by choice or due to injury concerns. Captain Rohit Rajpal and his management team could do little to persuade them otherwise.

Indian tennis has seen its share of player-versus-player friction (Paes and Bhupathi’s iconic victories) and player-versus-federation disputes in the past, but rarely has it been this dire.

“Never say no to playing for India. You have grievances, and everybody understands that. On the flipside, those grievances need to be addressed,” said Vishaal Uppal, former India Davis Cupper and ex-captain of the women’s Billie Jean King Cup team. “That’s where the discord is.”

This discord has been brewing for years with little done to resolve it. A similar situation unfolded three years ago. Before India’s away tie against Finland in 2021, Nagal withdrew due to a hip injury that could worsen on hard courts. Mukund was asked to replace him but chose to compete on the tour instead.

“Mukund feels it’s a bigger loss for him to go to the Davis Cup. What kind of leadership must we have for that to happen?” questioned Somdev Devvarman, India’s former No.1 player.

Instead of addressing these issues, the leadership allowed history to repeat itself. The association failed to build rapport with players and continued to reprimand them (e.g., the All India Tennis Association did not nominate Nagal for the 2024 Australian Open wildcard after he missed the Pakistan tie). Consequently, players find participating in Davis Cup under current leadership unappealing.

Three years later, Indian tennis remains trapped in a cycle of decline in Davis Cup performance.

The upcoming AITA elections at its annual general meeting could be a turning point. Players are keenly watching, hoping for changes that might begin to mend the broken chain linking Davis Cup and Indian tennis.

“It could be a start. It will be nice to have people who care — or at least show that they care,” said a leading Indian player.