Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi

2.1. Family and Early Exposure to Tennis

Qureshi began playing tennis at the relatively late age of 14, influenced significantly by his family. His maternal grandfather, Khawaja Iftikhar Ahmed, was a former 10-time national tennis champion and served as Qureshi's first coach. His mother, Nosheen Ihtsham, was also a former women's tennis champion, establishing a strong tennis lineage within his family. Khawaja Iftikhar Ahmed had been the All-India champion in British India before Pakistan's independence in 1947.

2.2. Education and Junior Career

Qureshi received his formal education at the University of Punjab. At age 16, the ITF provided him with a two-year sponsorship, supporting his burgeoning tennis career. He achieved significant success as a junior player, winning the Pakistan International Junior Championships, the Casablanca Cup in Mexico, and the LTA International Junior Championships in Roehampton, where he notably defeated future professionals like Olivier Rochus, Andy Ram, and Taylor Dent. In the World Super Junior Championships, he also secured a victory against Andy Roddick. By the age of 18, Qureshi had climbed to a top-20 ranking in junior tennis, becoming Pakistan's highest-ranked player in the international youth tennis arena, which led him to decide to turn professional in 1998.

His junior Grand Slam singles results include:

• Australian Open: 1R (1997, 1998)
• French Open: 2R (1998)
• Wimbledon: 3R (1998)
• US Open: 1R (1997, 1998)

His junior Grand Slam doubles results include:

• Australian Open: QF (1998)
• French Open: QF (1998)
• Wimbledon: QF (1998)
• US Open: QF (1998)

3.1. Coaches and Playing Style

Qureshi, who stands at 6.0 ft ^{(1.83 m)}, received coaching from the LTA as a junior. Since 1998, he has been coached by American Robert Davis, who has also served as a national coach for several countries including Peru, Panama, Thailand, and Indonesia. Davis is also a notable writer, contributing to publications such as the ATP's Deuce Magazine, Tennis Magazine USA, tennis.com, Tennis Magazine Australia, and ITF publications, as well as various non-sporting publications and newspapers.

Qureshi's playing style is predominantly serve-and-volley, a tactic that relies on his powerful serve to dictate points and pressure opponents. He demonstrates a strong preference for quicker surfaces, finding his greatest success on grass and hard courts. His game also features a one-handed backhand.

3.2. Sponsorship

Throughout his career, Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi has secured several endorsement deals. His clothing and shoe sponsor is Lotto. A significant sponsorship agreement was signed on March 29, 2008, with Pepsi, which funded a coach for Qureshi for one year. This made him the first Pakistani sportsman who was not a cricketer to feature in a Pepsi advertisement and serve as one of their brand ambassadors.

3.3. Early Professional Years (1998-2009)

Qureshi turned professional in 1998. His early professional years were characterized by his debut in the Davis Cup, participation in the Challenger Tour, and significant strides in improving his rankings.

On September 25, 1998, Qureshi made his Davis Cup debut, winning his first match against Danai Udomchoke. Partnering with Mohamed-Khaliq Siddiq, he also secured a doubles victory, contributing to Pakistan's 3-2 win over Thailand in the Asia/Oceania Zone Group II Final, which resulted in their promotion to Group I. Days later, he played his first professional match, reaching the doubles final of a Futures tournament in Japan. His singles career also started promisingly, with two Futures quarterfinals in Pakistan and Japan, ending 1998 ranked No. 779.

In 1999, Aisam reached the quarterfinals of his first Challenger tournament in Calcutta, where he lost to Indian player Leander Paes. In the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Zone Group I quarterfinal against Uzbekistan, Pakistan lost 4-1, with Aisam winning Pakistan's sole rubber. He secured two doubles Futures titles in Turkey with Dmitri Tomashevich. Pakistan was later relegated to Group II after a 3-0 loss to China in the Relegation Play-off final. In October, Qureshi won his first Futures singles title on the hard courts of Indonesia, defeating Danai Udomchoke. This was followed by a doubles Futures title in Vietnam with Mark Nielsen and another singles Futures win in Bangladesh on clay. He concluded 1999 ranked No. 365 in singles and No. 355 in doubles.

The year 2000 saw Aisam lead Pakistan to a 3-2 victory against Hong Kong in the Asia/Oceania Group II quarter-final. He began competing more extensively on the Challenger circuit, reaching the semi-finals at the Indian Oil Servo Cup in Calcutta in February. In the Davis Cup Group II semi-final, Pakistan was beaten by Chinese Taipei 3-2, despite Aisam winning two of his three rubbers. In May, he reached the semi-finals of the Samarkand Challenger in Samarkand with Dmitri Tomashevich and the LTA Manchester Challenger with Jamie Delgado. In July, he participated in the Ted Open in Istanbul, reaching the quarterfinals. He secured his first Challenger doubles title at the LTA Men's Challenger in Wrexham, partnering with Italian Daniele Bracciali. He also won a Futures doubles title in France with Israeli Noam Behr, and a Futures singles title in Vietnam. He rounded off 2000 by winning at the Neride Prague Indoor with Kristian Pless, finishing the year ranked No. 261 in singles and No. 211 in doubles.

In 2001, Aisam made his ATP tournament debut at the Chennai Open in Chennai, India, reaching the second round in doubles. In the Davis Cup, Pakistan lost to Chinese Taipei. He consistently reached doubles semi-finals at Challenger events in Mumbai, Ho Chi Minh City, and Fergana. He reached his first Challenger doubles final of the year in Wrexham, though he lost. He also won a Challenger doubles title at the Bukhara Challenger with Rogier Wassen. Qureshi secured two Futures singles titles in Thailand and Vietnam, and a doubles Challenger title at the 69th King's Cup in Bangkok. He ended 2001 ranked No. 251 in singles and No. 170 in doubles.

The year 2002 was marked by Aisam's first Grand Slam qualification. In the Davis Cup, he helped Pakistan defeat Malaysia 4-1 and Chinese Taipei to qualify for the Asia/Oceania Group II final. He won a doubles Futures title in Kuwait with Tuomas Ketola. His breakthrough came at Wimbledon, where he qualified for the main draw with doubles partner Amir Hadad. This pairing sparked considerable controversy due to Hadad's Israeli nationality, leading to a threat of expulsion from the Davis Cup by the Pakistan Tennis Federation. Qureshi publicly stated, "I don't like religion or politics to interfere with sport. We're not here to change anything - politics and governments do that. We're just here to play the game and enjoy it." The ITF intervened, forcing the PTF to withdraw its threat. The pair caused an upset by defeating 11th seeds Ellis Ferreira and Rick Leach to reach the third round, before losing to Martin Damm and Cyril Suk. Qureshi won three consecutive Challenger doubles titles in Bristol (with Dejan Petrovic), Manchester (with Karol Beck), and Hilversum (with Stefano Pescosolido). He partnered Hadad again at the US Open, reaching the second round. In September, Aisam's efforts helped Pakistan overcome China 3-2, promoting them to Asia/Oceania Group I, though he sustained an injury that ended his season. He finished 2002 ranked No. 265 in singles and No. 102 in doubles.

In 2003, Aisam and Amir Hadad were recognized with the ATP's Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award, with ATP chief executive Mark Miles highlighting their message of "tolerance through tennis" amidst global tensions. The pair played at the Milan Indoor and Copenhagen Open. Aisam won a doubles Futures title in Uzbekistan with Justin Bower, followed by a Challenger doubles title at the Fergana Challenger. This victory propelled him to No. 89 in the world doubles rankings. He partnered with Daniel Vacek at the French Open and Hadad again at Wimbledon, but experienced early exits. This year marked the beginning of his notable partnership with Indian player Rohan Bopanna. They reached the semi-finals at the Manchester Trophy and won the Colorado Classic in Denver, US. In the Davis Cup, Qureshi helped Pakistan avoid relegation by defeating South Korea 3-2. He then focused on singles, winning three Futures titles (one in Thailand, two in India) and two doubles Futures titles in India. He ended 2003 ranked No. 493 in singles and No. 187 in doubles.

In February 2004, Aisam won a singles Futures title in India. He reached doubles semi-finals at the Wrexham Challenger and won the IX Challenger Internacional de Salinas in Salinas, Ecuador with Federico Browne. He won another singles Futures title in Saudi Arabia. In June, he played his first ATP singles tournament at The Nottingham Open, losing in the first round. He then won the XI Open International D'Andorra with Gilles Müller. In the Davis Cup relegation play-off final against New Zealand, Aisam played a pivotal role in Pakistan's upset 3-2 victory, securing their spot in Asia/Oceania Group I. He won another singles Futures title in Nigeria and concluded 2004 ranked No. 199 in singles and No. 136 in doubles.

2005 saw Aisam reach the final of the Volkswagen Challenger in Wolfsburg, Germany, with Lovro Zovko. In the Davis Cup, he beat Paradorn Srichaphan and won all his rubbers against Chinese Taipei, leading Pakistan to the World Group play-offs for the first time in their history. He represented Pakistan at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, where he won three gold medals in singles, doubles, and team events. He secured his first doubles Challenger title of the year at the Open de Tenis Amaya in Pamplona with Zovko. However, Pakistan suffered a 5-0 defeat to Chile in the World Group play-offs. He ended 2005 ranked No. 450 in singles and No. 168 in doubles.

In 2006, Aisam faced challenges in the Davis Cup as Pakistan lost to Chinese Taipei, India (despite Aisam winning both his matches), and China, resulting in relegation back to Asia/Oceania Group II. He made his second ATP tournament appearance at the Ordina Open in 's-Hertogenbosch, losing a close match to Mario Ančić. He reached the doubles final of the Bukhara Challenger with Rohan Bopanna. He partnered with Leander Paes at the Kingfisher Airlines Tennis Open in Mumbai. In the first Indo-Pak tennis series, Pakistan lost 3-2. He won a singles Futures title in India. At the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, he reached the singles third round and doubles quarter-finals with Aqeel Khan, losing to Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes. In December, Aisam was declared ITF player of the month. He ended 2006 ranked No. 417 in singles and No. 365 in doubles.

The year 2007 was a breakthrough for Aisam. He won multiple Futures doubles titles with various partners. At the 2007 Gerry Weber Open, he achieved the biggest victory of his career by defeating World No. 11 and Wimbledon semi-finalist Richard Gasquet 7-6⁽¹⁰⁾, 6-4. He made history by qualifying for the main rounds of Wimbledon, becoming the first Pakistani in over 31 years to play at a Grand Slam tournament and the second Pakistani to reach the second round, where he lost to Marat Safin. He continued his strong form at the 2007 Campbell's Hall of Fame Championships, defeating top seed Mardy Fish to reach his first ATP quarter-final. He then secured back-to-back doubles Challenger titles at the LTA Manchester Trophy and The LTA Nottingham Challenger with Rohan Bopanna, forming the "Indo-Pak Express". This duo continued their dominance by winning the GHI Bronx Tennis Classic, extending a 16-match winning streak across four tournaments and giving Aisam his 50th career title (including singles and doubles at all levels). Despite pulling out of the US Open qualifiers due to tendinitis, he reached his first career ATP semi-final and final at the 2007 Kingfisher Airlines Tennis Open in Mumbai with Bopanna, ending their 19-match win streak in the final. He won another doubles Challenger title in Barnstaple with Frederik Nielsen. As his singles ranking rose to the top 150, he participated in the second Indo-Pak tennis series. He won his first Challenger singles title at the Malaysian Open in New Delhi, concluding 2007 ranked No. 125 in singles and No. 90 in doubles.

In 2008, Aisam started the season at the 2008 Chennai Open in India, reaching the doubles semi-finals with Marin Čilić. His doubles ranking reached a new high of No. 82. He partnered with Bopanna at the 2008 French Open and 2008 Wimbledon Championships, facing tough draws but notably defeating Polish tenth seeds Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski at Wimbledon. He won a Challenger doubles title in Dublin with Prakash Amritraj. At the 2008 Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, he reached his second ATP doubles final with Bopanna, losing to Mardy Fish and John Isner. He won a Challenger doubles title in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, with Santiago González. At the 2008 US Open, he lost in singles to former World No. 1 Carlos Moyà and in doubles with Bopanna. He concluded 2008 by winning the Dunlop Challenger in Toyota, Japan, with Frederik Nielsen.

The year 2009 saw Aisam play in various Futures and Challenger events. He lost in the final of the Belgrade Challenger in doubles with Lovro Zovko. He contributed to Pakistan's 4-1 win over Oman in the Davis Cup. He won the doubles title at the Kyoto Challenger with M. Slanar. Partnering with Rohan Bopanna, he reached the semi-finals of the Bangkok Challenger and won the Korat Challenger. He qualified for the main round of the 2009 Wimbledon Championships doubles with Prakash Amritraj, upsetting the 16th seeds to reach the third round. He reached the semi-finals of the Indianapolis doubles with Sam Querrey. At the 2009 US Open, he partnered with Jarkko Nieminen and reached the second round. A significant highlight was his victory with James Cerretani over Roger Federer and Marco Chiudinelli in straight sets at the [http://www.sportresult.com/sports/tennis/davidoff/matchreport.asp?lang=&game=4_3&design=blackgold&CompId=DSI09 Basel Open] Doubles. The final score was 6-4, 6-3. Qureshi called this the greatest achievement of his career at that time. He ended 2009 by winning both the Aachen and Helsinki Challengers with Bopanna, finishing the year at No. 59 in the doubles ranking.

3.4. Grand Slam Breakthroughs and ATP Tour Titles (2010-2017)

The year 2010 marked a significant breakthrough for Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi. He won his first-ever ATP title at the 2010 SA Tennis Open in Johannesburg, South Africa, with Rohan Bopanna. They reached two more ATP finals that year, at the 2010 Grand Prix Hassan II in Casablanca, Morocco, and the 2010 Open de Nice Côte d'Azur in Nice, France, finishing as runners-up. The Indo-Pak Express reached their first Grand Slam quarterfinals at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships. They also reached the semi-finals at the 2010 Legg Mason Tennis Classic and the final of the 2010 Pilot Pen Tennis in New Haven.

The pinnacle of Qureshi's 2010 season was his performance at the US Open. In men's doubles, he and Bopanna, seeded 16th, upset the second-seeded team of Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjić to reach the quarterfinals. They continued their impressive run, advancing to the semi-finals and then the final, where they faced the top-ranked Bryan brothers, Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan, ultimately losing in two tight tie-break sets. Qureshi also excelled in mixed doubles, partnering with Květa Peschke. They advanced to the final, defeating several seeded teams along the way, before losing to Liezel Huber and Bob Bryan. These two final appearances remain Qureshi's best Grand Slam results.

In 2011, Qureshi achieved his career-high doubles ranking of world No. 8 on June 6. He and Bopanna reached the semi-finals of the 2011 Medibank International Sydney and the Monte Carlo Masters, and the quarterfinals of Roland Garros and the US Open. They won the Gerry Weber Open by defeating Milos Raonic and Robin Haase. The Indo-Pak Express's greatest achievement that year was winning their first Masters 1000 title at the 2011 BNP Paribas Masters in Paris, where they defeated Julien Benneteau and Nicolas Mahut in the final. This victory led them to qualify for the ATP Finals as the seventh doubles team, though they did not advance past the round-robin stage. Aisam was also nominated for the Stephen Edberg Sportsmanship Award.

In 2012, Aisam partnered with Curaçaoan Jean-Julien Rojer. They were seeded eighth at the 2012 Australian Open and reached the third round. In May, they won the Estoril Open doubles title. They then created an upset by defeating the Bryan Brothers at the Madrid Open to reach the quarter-finals. As tenth seeds at the Roland Garros, they reached the semi-finals, again losing to the Bryan Brothers. Aisam-ul-Haq successfully defended his Gerry Weber Open men's doubles title with Rojer, solidifying their partnership. At Wimbledon, they were seeded eighth and reached the third round, losing to the eventual winners Jonathan Marray and Frederik Nielsen in a close five-set match. On November 4, Qureshi and Rojer were defeated in the final of the Paris Masters by the Indian duo Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna.

The year 2013 saw Qureshi and Rojer continue their success, winning doubles titles at the Sony Open in Miami, Florida, and the Stockholm Open in Stockholm, Sweden. They also reached the Men's Doubles Quarterfinals at the US Open. In the Davis Cup, Qureshi secured two singles victories for Pakistan against Daniel King-Turner of New Zealand and Dineshkanthan Thangarajah of Sri Lanka.

In 2014, Qureshi reunited with Rohan Bopanna to win the doubles title at the Dubai Tennis Championships, defeating Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjić. However, they experienced an early exit at Indian Wells, losing to Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka in the first round.

Between 2015 and 2017, Qureshi experienced mixed results. In July 2015, he won the Hall of Fame Open in Newport, Rhode Island, alongside British player Jonny Marray. At the 2016 US Open (tennis), he reached the doubles quarterfinals with Robert Lindstedt but lost in the first round of mixed doubles with Xu Yifan. The year 2017 was highly successful, as he clinched six ATP titles with various partners: Auckland (with unspecified partner), Barcelona (with Florin Mergea), Surbiton Challenger (with Marcus Daniell), Antalya (with Lindstedt), Hall of Fame (with Rajeev Ram), and Chengdu (with Jonathan Erlich).

3.5. Later Career and Final Years (2018-2024)

In 2018, Qureshi reached the quarterfinals of the 2018 Australian Open with Marcin Matkowski, losing to the Bryan brothers, and also reached the final at the 2018 Barcelona Open Banco Sabadell with Jean-Julien Rojer.

Qureshi continued to achieve success in 2019, winning two ATP Challenger Tours in Ilkey and Nottingham, Great Britain, alongside Santiago González. They also secured a notable ATP Tour title at the 2019 U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships.

On February 16, 2020, Qureshi won the ATP 250 event 2020 New York Open partnering with Dominic Inglot, marking one of his final ATP titles.

In 2021, he reached two more ATP 250 finals: at the Emilia-Romagna Open with Austria's Oliver Marach and at the Stockholm Open with Rojer, but both ended in runner-up finishes.

The year 2022 saw Qureshi reach two more ATP finals. At the Melbourne Summer Set 1, he partnered with Aleksandr Nedovyesov but lost in the final. At the Australian Open, the new pair defeated the seventh-seeded team of Nicolas Mahut and Fabrice Martin, reaching the second round. He reached his second ATP final of the year at the Delray Beach Open with Nedovyesov, losing to Marcelo Arévalo and Jean-Julien Rojer. In a significant development for Pakistani tennis, Qureshi was appointed captain of the Pakistan Davis Cup team in 2022.

In 2023, Qureshi partnered with Serbian player Nikola Ćaćić at the Australian Open, where they reached the third round before losing to the world No. 1 pair, Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski. In May 2023, after an impressive streak of 722 consecutive weeks in the Top 100 of the ATP doubles rankings, he dropped out of this elite group, marking the first time since July 2009. This drop in ranking led to his failure to qualify for the 2023 French Open, ending his remarkable streak of playing in 50 consecutive Grand Slams, a run that began at 2009 Wimbledon. As a result, he predominantly played on the ATP Challenger Tour. In March, he reached the final of the Play In Challenger with Dustin Brown, but lost. In July, he won a Challenger title at the Iași Open partnering with Colombian player Nicolás Barrientos. In September, he reached the final of the Istanbul Challenger with Dutch player Sander Arends, but they were runners-up.

Qureshi's 2024 season began with early losses at the Nonthaburi Challenger II and III, partnering with Indonesian player Christopher Rungkat. His ATP doubles ranking continued to decline, leading to his failure to qualify for the 2024 Australian Open for the first time since 2009. This absence resulted in a significant drop in his ranking, falling out of the top 150. In February, he played a Davis Cup singles match against India, losing a close three-set match to Ramkumar Ramanathan, with the final scoreline being 7-6(7-3), 6-7(4-7), 0-6. He made a brief return to the ATP main tour at the 2024 Dubai Tennis Championships, partnering with Skander Mansouri, but they lost to the world No. 1 pair of Matthew Ebden and his former partner, Rohan Bopanna. During this month, Qureshi officially announced that the 2024 season would be his last. In March, he played at the Murcia Open and Girona Challenger with Spaniard David Vega Hernández, experiencing early exits. In April, he and Hernández, as the top seeds, reached the semi-finals of the 2024 Sánchez-Casal Cup Challenger event, but his ranking continued its downward trend, dropping to 183rd and marking his lowest rank since July 2007. By June, Aisam fell out of the ATP doubles Top 200 after 860 weeks, and by September, he dropped out of the Top 400 after 914 weeks, his first time outside the Top 400 since October 2006. In July, he was the defending champion at the 2024 Iași Open but lost in the first round with Dmitry Popko. He also played at the 2024 Dutch Open and 2024 Internazionali di Tennis Città di Verona with Hernández, losing in the opening rounds. In September, he played his final professional match at the 2024 Davis Cup World Group II alongside Aqeel Khan, where they lost the decisive doubles match against Barbados, contributing to Pakistan's 1-3 defeat.

4.1. Humanitarian and Sporting Awards

Qureshi's commitment to humanitarian causes is particularly noteworthy. He teamed with Israeli player Amir Hadad during the 2002 Wimbledon and US Open tournaments, a partnership that, despite initial controversy, earned them the ATP's Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award in 2002. This award highlighted their message of "tolerance through tennis." He is a member of the "Champions for Peace" club, a group of 54 athletes globally committed to serving peace through sport, established by the Monaco-based international organization Peace and Sport.

In November 2010, Aisam was appointed a United Nations Development Program (UNDP) goodwill ambassador, further cementing his role as a global advocate for peace. Alongside his doubles partner Rohan Bopanna of India, he was awarded the ATP World Tour Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year for a second time in 2010. This duo also received the 2010 "Peace and Sport Image of the Year" award, acknowledging their dedicated efforts to spread peace through their "Stop War Start Tennis" campaign. This campaign aimed to foster understanding between India and Pakistan through sports, notably with a goal of playing a match on the India-Pakistan border.

He is also a multiple medalist at major international sporting events:

• At the Islamic Solidarity Games in 2005 Mecca, he won three gold medals in singles, doubles, and team events.
• At the 2016 South Asian Games in Guwahati, he secured two bronze medals in singles and mixed doubles.

4.2. National and Public Accolades

Qureshi has received high honors from his home country, Pakistan, and various public acknowledgments:

• He was given the Pakistan President's Award for Performance in 2002.
• In 2007, he received the Salam Pakistan Youth Award from the President of Pakistan.
• He was a runner-up for the 2003 Anne Frank Award For Moral Courage by the Anne Frank Trust, UK.
• In 2011, he was awarded the Lux Style Award for Most Stylish Sports Person, a significant cultural accolade in Pakistan.
• As a prominent alumnus, he was invited to his former school, Crescent Model Higher Secondary School, for the groundbreaking ceremony of new tennis courts, underscoring his influence on local sports development.

7.1. Grand Slam Tournament Performance Timelines

7.2. Grand Slam Tournament Finals