Overview
Tennis legend Vijay Amritraj credits his mother's perseverance for his success during a Mother’s Day tribute in California.
The Valley Indian Seniors Association (VISA) recently hosted a Mother’s Day celebration in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, featuring tennis legend Vijay Amritraj as the guest speaker. According to a press release, Amritraj used the occasion to offer a tribute to his mother, Maggie Amritraj, detailing her profound influence on his life and professional achievements.
Overcoming Early Adversity
Amritraj shared memories of a childhood marked by frequent hospitalizations due to various illnesses. During these periods, his mother attended his classes to take notes and subsequently taught him his lessons from his hospital bed. Amritraj noted that his life is 99% her effort and 1% mine.
According to Amritraj, his mother’s tenacious spirit drove his physical recovery. She encouraged him to begin running, starting with just 10 yards. Over time, these efforts scaled to five-mile runs at 5 a.m. every morning, during which she would drive alongside him to ensure his safety.
Building a Tennis Legacy
The family’s connection to tennis originated from Amritraj’s father’s side, but it was his mother who determined that all three of her sons would reach the professional level. To fund the expensive lessons and equipment required for the sport, she established a corrugated boxes factory in the family garage.
Even after a severe industrial accident in which her right hand was caught in a machine, Maggie Amritraj’s resolve remained unshaken. Though doctors predicted she would never write or drive again, she regained those abilities and continued driving her sons to their practices. Amritraj attributed the success of the three brothers to witnessing their mother’s courage and hard work.
A Global Ambassador for India
The expectations of the Amritraj household were symbolized by a wall hanging in the brothers’ room featuring a quote by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:
“The heights by great men reached and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight,
But they, while their companions slept,
Were toiling upward in the night”
Amritraj, who served as Asia’s Number 1 tennis player for 14 years and won 16 ATP singles titles, has become a prominent figure for the South Asian diaspora. A recipient of the Padma Bhushan from the government of India and a UN Messenger of Peace, he concluded his remarks by stating, “My greatest talent was being born to the right parents.”
This text was edited with the assistance of an AI tool and has been reviewed and edited for accuracy and clarity by India Currents.