Pakistan Tennis Federation’s affairs are in a shambles due to personal interests that clearly trump sports’ promotion.

Despite a long performance slump, tennis has always evoked enthusiasm among sports aficionados. The failure to tap into the talent pool of the youth and the lack of a grooming regimen has left Pakistan tennis at the mercy of individual ambitions of the tried and tested faces that have miserably failed to create a pool of young players capable of competing at the international level.

Look at some of the "achievements" of the current administration of PTF. The PTF organised a thanksgiving ceremony at its tennis complex in Islamabad, calling a recent Islamabad High Court decision in its favour a "victory." Such celebrations should be reserved for athletic achievements, not unresolved legal matters. The court merely directed the aggrieved parties to present their case before the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), leaving the final outcome undecided.

Resignations and
Internal Discontent

Further deepening the crisis within Pakistan tennis, PTF head coach Asim Shafiq and assistant coach Noman-ul-Haq tendered their resignations from the National Training Center (NTC) earlier this year. Their decision was not abrupt but stemmed from months of growing frustration over the PTF’s poor management practices, inconsistent policies, and an overall lack of seriousness towards player development.

The coaches felt increasingly sidelined in key decisions and were demoralised by the absence of a structured training programme, limited resources, and frequent interference by non-technical officials.

The situation reached a breaking point when their professional recommendations were repeatedly ignored, and training camps were either poorly organised or cancelled altogether, often at the last minute.

The resignation of two highly qualified, experienced, and respected coaches reflects the larger dysfunction within the federation and has sparked concern about the future of player development in Pakistan. With no immediate replacements or succession plan announced, the vacuum in technical leadership raises serious questions about the PTF’s commitment to building a sustainable development pathway for young talent.

Davis Cup Failures and
Absentee Officials

The men’s Davis Cup team has also underperformed, recently losing to Barbados, and Uzbekistan. In a bid to gain international exposure, top players Muzammil, Shoaib, and Nael were sent to Tunisia for three ITF tournaments. They played ten qualifying matches and secured only one win, returning without a single ATP ranking point.

Yet, while Pakistan’s Davis Cup team needs to prepare for a critical upcoming tie against Paraguay, top PTF officials are reportedly enjoying their time at Wimbledon in London, instead of overseeing training and team strategy. A loss in the next Davis Cup tie against Paraguay could push the team down to the lowest regional tier, repeating the women’s team’s fate in Asia/Oceania Group III.

Junior Level Woes

Pakistan's junior tennis teams are also struggling. At the U-16 Junior Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Qualifiers, Pakistan finished a lowly 12th out of 16 nations. The inclusion of a U.S.-based player led to a controversial loss to India, after which the PTF head was compelled to issue a public apology to the Indian team. Similarly, the U-14 team ended their campaign ranked 14th out of 16 participating nations.

Unkept Promises and
Financial Disorder

Adding to the organisational instability, the Pakistan Tennis Federation has been operating without a finance secretary since November 2024, following the resignation of Arif Qureshi, a senior official with years of experience in sports administration.

Since then, no formal appointment has been made to fill the role, raising serious concerns about oversight of budgets, allocation of international funding, and overall financial accountability. The absence of a qualified finance head for over six months highlights the federation’s disorganised internal structure and lack of urgency in addressing governance issues.

This continued vacancy also casts doubt on PTF’s ability to manage future funding from international tennis bodies, corporate sponsors, and the Pakistan Sports Board, all of which require strict financial compliance and transparent reporting.

The PTF chief repeatedly promised that he would bring ATP tournaments in Pakistan but nothing has happened in that direction. From the above-mentioned it should not be difficult for the tennis fans to assess if PTF deserves to hold such ceremonies.

For now, the question remains: with no victories on the court, what exactly is the Pakistan Tennis Federation celebrating?