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Salwar-Clad Lakshmi Conquers Wimbledon Player, Becomes Asia's First Woman Champ
29 Oct
Summary
- Lakshmi Mahadevan defeats Wimbledon player Jill Mills in 1964
- Wears salwar kameez, against mother's wishes, to play tennis
- Retires in 1960s due to dust allergy, returns in 1974 but stops again
In October 2025, the story of Lakshmi Mahadevan, Asia's first women's tennis champion, continues to inspire. Back in 1964, the 86-year-old Lakshmi, then a young player from Madras (now Chennai), made history by defeating Wimbledon player Jill Mills in straight sets at Calcutta (now Kolkata) to become the country's first Asian Championship winner.
Lakshmi's journey to the top was not without challenges. Dressed in a salwar kameez with a dupatta pinned to her shoulders, she defied her mother's wishes to play in a half-sari or not at all. "I had nothing to lose," Lakshmi recalls. "Mrs Mills was the Wimbledon player. I wasn't."
Lakshmi's tennis journey began at the age of 14 when she started playing at the Gandhinagar Ladies Club. "I didn't know the game existed until then. I just saw others hitting the ball and did the same." Her talent quickly blossomed, and she was ranked No. 1 in India in 1964 before retiring a couple of years later due to a dust allergy. Lakshmi made a comeback in 1974 but stopped playing again soon after.
