At the outset, I must lay out my stall and remind those of you reading this article that it was my unbridled privilege to work alongside one of India’s great icon athletes—Vijay Amritraj—for the best part of 20 years, during which time we covered Wimbledon, the Australian Open and the US Open. Roland Garros was not a property of the TV Network that Vijay and I worked for in those days, ESPN Star Sports (ESS).

 Vijay’s knowledge of the sport in virtually any facet you care to mention is extraordinary. I soaked up every minute of sitting alongside him. When it came to commentating on a match involving Sania Mirza, of course it became a more personal affair, simply because of the India connection. My involvement in those years with the broadcasting of cricket in India with ESS gave me an insight into the sheer volume of numbers who would be watching TV, watching every move in a tennis match involving Sania. Simply put, in India, Sania was box office.