End of an era

At the opening ceremony of the ATP Challenger Pakistan, Aisamul Haq Qureshi quietly drew the curtain on a career that redefined what was possible for Pakistani sport. The tears in his eyes, by his own admission, were as much about the end of a journey as they were about the start of another — the dream of bringing international tennis back to home soil, now as the President of the Pakistan Tennis Federation.

It is tempting to measure Aisam's legacy by numbers alone: a career-high singles ranking of 125, a peak doubles ranking of world No 8, four qualifications for the ATP Finals, and 18 tour-level doubles titles including two Masters 1000 crowns. He is the only Pakistani ever to reach a Grand Slam final — twice in one tournament — at the 2010 US Open. He is also the country's most successful Davis Cup player.

Pakistan has long celebrated its cricketers, occasionally its hockey heroes, but tennis was a footnote until Aisam arrived. He carried the weight of expectation from a nation that had neither the infrastructure to nurture elite tennis nor the patience to endure its slow growth. He paid his dues on empty courts and self-financed flights, fighting for the privilege to compete with the world's best. Then, when he finally got there, he stayed — long enough to make Pakistan visible and respectable on the global circuit.

Moving forward, where Aisam goes from here next will matter. As PTF president, he transitions from being the anchor of Pakistan's tennis results to being accountable for its future. For 27 years, he was the exception. The measure of Pakistan's tennis progress from this point onward will be whether the next generation is allowed to become the norm.