On November 29, after playing the doubles final of the ATP Challenger in Islamabad, Aisamul Haq Qureshi called time on his 27-year illustrious professional tennis career. He is arguably the greatest tennis player that Pakistan has ever produced.

The first Pakistani tennis player to hit international headlines was Haroon Rahim in the 1970s, with a highest singles ranking of 34 in 1977. In three of the four Grand Slams, he reached the singles’ second or third round. In the doubles, his best showing in Grand Slams was a quarter-final appearance. It took around three decades for the next tennis star to emerge from Pakistan.

Aisamul Haq, like Rahim from Lahore, was born into a tennis family. His maternal grandfather, Khawaja Iftikhar, is the only one to have reached the top national ranking in both undivided India and, later, Pakistan. Khawaja Iftikhar’s daughter and Aisam’s mother, Nausheen Ehtisham, was ranked as Pakistan’s No 1 woman player for almost 10 years.

Ironically, Aisam didn’t pick up a tennis racket till he was 13 years old. He did indulge in other sports at his school, Crescent Model School, which boasts of multiple sports facilities. But when he picked up the racket, he picked it up really well.

Aisamul Haq Qureshi, who just retired from professional tennis, is the greatest of tennis players that Pakistan has ever produced. What will the future of the game in the country be like after his bowing out?

Within four years, he was competing in junior grand slam tournaments. At the age of 18, Aisam was World No 7 and Asia No 1 in the junior rankings. He beat Andy Roddick and David Nalbandian, the future World No 1 and 3, respectively, in the World Super Junior Championships in 1998. In the junior grand slams, his best showing in singles was reaching the third round at Wimbledon in 1998. That year, he figured in the doubles quarter-finals of all four grand slam tournaments.

Also in 1998, he turned professional. It was a long struggle. Devoid of sponsorship, Aisam mainly banked on his family’s support. He first appeared in the Futures (now named ITF World Tennis Tour), the entry-level professional circuit. The following year, he made it into the quarter-finals of his first Challenger tournament, the second tier of professional tennis.

His ranking improved and, in 2001, he made his debut in a top tier ATP tournament (in the doubles). His first appearance in a Grand Slam arrived the following year (in doubles) at Wimbledon, where he reached the third round. It was in 2004 that Aisam made his maiden singles appearance in an ATP event.

The year 2007 was his annus mirabilis in singles. In June, in the Gerry Weber Open, he defeated World No 11 Richard Gasquet who, three weeks later, reached the Wimbledon semi-final. He qualified for Wimbledon, becoming the first Pakistani in 31 years to play at a Grand Slam singles, and the second to win a match. In the second round, he was defeated by the former world No 1 Marat Safin. He also reached the final qualifying round at the US Open. But an injury forced him to pull out with the match finely poised at one set all. He ended the year with his highest career ranking of 125.

In doubles, 2010 was his most memorable year. With his long-time partner, Rohan Bopanna of India, he created history at the US Open. The 16th-seeded pair, known as the Indo-Pak express, surprised everyone by reaching the final, where they lost 7-6, 7-6 to the Bryan twins, widely acknowledged as the greatest doubles pair.

It was the first time that a Pakistani had played the final of a Grand Slam. There was a double delight. In the mixed doubles too, the unseeded pair of Aisam and Kveta Peschke (Czech Republic) finished runners-up.  

But what endeared him to everyone was his post-final speech. At the time, Pakistan was suffering from a phase of terrorism worse than that of today. At New York’s Arthur Ashe Stadium, Aisam declared to the crowd, “There’s a very wrong perception about Pakistan being a terrorist country. We are a very friendly, loving and caring people, and we want peace in this world as much as you guys want. May Allah bless us all.”

The Aisam and Rohan pair was awarded the ‘Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year’ award in 2010. The duo also received the 2010 ‘Peace and Sport Image of the Year’ award.

Aisam’s highest doubles ranking was eight and, from 2009 to 2023, he had a streak of playing in 50 grand slams. The government of Pakistan conferred on him the President’s Award for Pride of Performance in 2004 and the Sitara-i-Imtiaz in 2010.

All these years, the national cause remained close to his heart. Aisam played for Pakistan in the Davis Cup throughout, sometimes skipping lucrative pro circuit tournaments. He had stopped entering singles on the pro circuit in 2009 but continued in the Davis Cup. In 2005, Pakistan made it to the World Group play-off for only the second time.

He says he is still available for national duty: “I have played my last match on the professional circuit. But if Pakistan needs me for the Davis Cup, I will be available for doubles.” 

But the nation expects even more from him. Last year, Aisam was elected the president of the Pakistan Tennis Federation. And from the looks of things, he has his sights set on making big strides for the sport in the country.

The ATP Challenger was recently staged in Pakistan for the first time. “Players from 14 countries participated,” points out Aisam. “In his maiden appearance, Muzammil Murtaza reached the second round in singles and the final in doubles. He would get ATP points. That was our goal. More ATP events will be hosted. The ATP points earned will improve players’ rankings, hence enabling them to appear in the pro circuit abroad.”

Even legendary tennis player Bjorn Borg, winner of 11 Grand Slam singles titles, congratulated Aisam on hosting the first-ever ATP Challengers in Pakistan, “It is the start of a new era for Pakistan,” he said.

For now, Aisam’s main focus is on the juniors. “In 2025, Pakistan hosted five ITF Juniors Tournaments for the first time,” he says. “For next year, Pakistan has been allocated seven ITF Juniors.” It all ties in with Aisam’s vision for promoting tennis in Pakistan.                                     

“When I turned pro, I had no sponsorship,” Aisam points out. “Many of my contemporaries on the junior circuit, hailing from tennis-rich countries, got sponsorship. This enabled them to acquire the services of good coaches and physical fitness experts. It helped them make rapid strides on the pro circuit. My first financial sponsor was when I was 27. I wish promising players of today get patronage at an early stage.”

Ostensibly the biggest initiative to put Pakistan tennis on track was taken much before Aisam assumed the office of the PTF President. The Ace Tennis Initiative was launched in August 2022, under the umbrella of the Haq Foundation, initially run solely by Aisamul Haq’s family. Later, other sponsors joined, including the BARD Foundation, McDonald’s and Servis Industries.

“Ace Tennis conducted a nationwide talent hunt in Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi and Peshawar,” explains Aisam. “Four promising players were selected in each city, 15 boys and one girl. They joined a 12-month programme for customised training and fitness plans for each athlete. It is a sort of conveyor belt, where some players have been dropped from the programme over time, while a few have graduated out due to age. Similarly, players have also been added.”

The results are very encouraging. The best coming through the Ace initiative have been sent abroad for competitions and have been doing well. Others doing well on the domestic circuit are also being facilitated and encouraged and arrangements have also been made for their training abroad.

Aisam’s efforts have gone beyond bringing glory to Pakistan tennis just by dint of his own sportsmanship. And from the looks of things, it won’t take that long for Pakistan tennis to see the emergence of the next Aisam.

The writer is a freelance sports journalist based in Lahore. X: @IjazChaudhry1 Email: ijaz62@hotmail.com

Published in Dawn, EOS, December 7th, 2025