Rajeev Ram: A Brief Biography
Rajeev Ram is an American professional tennis player and a doubles specialist. He achieved a career-high doubles ranking of No.1 in October 2022. He is currently ranked No.5 in doubles by the ATP, while his doubles partner Joe Salisbury is ranked No. 6 by the ATP.
Ram was born on March 18, 1984 in Denver, Colorado and is one of the most experienced campaigners on tour. He has won six major doubles titles till date, including three consecutive US Opens (2021, 2022 and 2023) and two Australian Open titles in mixed doubles. Ram and Salisbury defeated Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden at the 2023 US Open.
The year 2021 is considered to be one of Rajeev Ram’s best years, where he won a couple of major titles and performed exceedingly well. At the international level, Ram won the silver medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro.
With a vicious serve and a single-handed backhand as smooth as an oil painting, it isn’t too hard to see why Rajeev Ram is almost a cheat code in doubles. While he has tasted all-round success, most of his titles have come on hard courts. However, his favorite surface is grass and his favorite play is the traditional serve and volley.
In 2017, Ram decided to retire from singles. “I had a great year last year in singles and doubles,” he said. “But I could just feel the wear and tear taking its toll.” He lost his final singles match against Matthew Ebden at Newport, whom he coincidentally defeated in the men’s doubles US Open 2023 final. The year before retiring from singles, Ram joined the ATP Player Council as a member, and served his term between 2016-2018.
Rajeev Ram Personal Information
Name | Rajeev Ram |
Age | 39 |
Date of Birth | March 18, 1984 |
Nationality | American |
Mother Name | Sushma Ram |
Father Name | Raghav Ram |
Profession | Professional Tennis Player |
Net Worth | $5 million |
Height | 6’ 4” |
Weight | 185 lbs |
Education | University of Illinois, Indiana University East |
Relationship Status | Married (to Zainab Saqib since 2016) |
Rajeev Ram Early Life
Rajeev Ram started playing tennis at the age of four. His family immigrated to the USA before he was born. He was born in Denver, but grew up in Carmel, Indiana. Ram played at the local Carmel Racquet Club, where a court was named after him in 2021. The 39-year-old won a total of nine junior titles and delayed his admission into the University of Illinois just so that he could prolong his amateur career on the circuit.
Rajeev Ram Personal Life
Besides tennis, Ram enjoys playing table tennis, golf and cricket during his leisure time. He is also a music enthusiast. On the tour, Ram’s nickname is ‘Rampras’, since there is a common notion that he serves like Pete Sampras. According to the ATP website, the doubles specialist idolized Sampras and Boris Becker growing up.
Rajeev Ram Family Background
Rajeev Ram was born to mother Sushma Ram and father Raghav Ram in 1984. The family grew up together in Carmel. Unfortunately, Rajeev Ram lost his father in 2019. “My dad took up tennis more regularly because I loved it,” Ram told local media back then. “We did it together. It was more of a family interest. I wouldn’t have done anything without my mom and dad. We spent a lot of time at that club as a family.”
There is not much information about Rajeev’s mother Sushma Ram, barring the fact that she sacrificed a lot to help Rajeev’s evolution in tennis while growing up. Additionally, nothing is known regarding the details of Ram’s possible siblings either.
Rajeev Ram Wife
According to multiple sources online, Rajeev Ram got married to Zainab Saqib in 2016. It was a small wedding ceremony that took place with their family and friends in their hometown. The pair were in a relationship for an extended period of time before they got married. Zainab reportedly hails from Pakistan, and her parents are Bushra and Dr. Saqib. As per sources, she is a businesswoman.
Rajeev Ram Kids
According to online sources, Rajeev Ram and his wife Zainab Saqib have a son. However, no other information is available about their son.
Rajeev Ram Social Media
Instagram: @rajeevram318
Twitter: @RajeevRam
Rajeev Ram Net Worth
According to multiple online sources, Ram’s net worth is estimated at around $5 million in 2023. His main sources of earnings are tennis prize money and sponsorship deals.
YEAR | NET WORTH |
2023 | $5 Million |
2022 | $4 Million |
2021 | $4.5 Million |
Rajeev Ram Prize Money
According to the ATP website, Ram has won over $8.7 million in prize money till date, including over $640,000 as of September 2023.
In 2016, Ram was caught in the middle of an online controversy regarding earnings, prize money and equal pay. He has been a long-standing advocate for money being distributed more evenly around the ATP, and clarified some misinterpretations regarding his comments on prize money disparities.
“I think what was misinterpreted and misunderstood was that somehow I was an advocate for women getting less money and men getting more money because of their gender. I do not feel this way at all,” he reiterated firmly.
Rajeev Ram Sponsors and Endorsement Deals
Rajeev Ram’s tennis equipment sponsor is Head and he plays with the Head Graphene 360+ racket. Meanwhile, his apparel and shoes are sponsored by New Balance. As for strings, Solinco Sports is endorsed by the six-time Grand Slam winner and Olympic medalist.
“I’m excited to officially be a part of the Solinco family,” Ram said. “Solinco products have been a staple in my game for many years, and I’m confident that I’ll continue to achieve great things with their unrivaled team support and world class equipment,” he told SolincoSports.com.
Rajeev Ram Investment Deals
The details of Rajeev Ram’s investments are not known as of 2023.
Rajeev Ram Best Finish at Each Grand Slam
Singles:
Australian Open - R2 (2013, 2016)
Roland Garros - R1 (2010, 2016)
Wimbledon - R2 (2013)
US Open - R2 (2013, 2015)
Doubles:
Australian Open - W (2020)
Roland Garros - QF (2011, 2019, 2020, 2022)
Wimbledon - SF (2016, 2021, 2022)
US Open - W (2021, 2022, 2023)
Mixed Doubles:
Australian Open - W (2019, 2021)
Roland Garros - SF (2017)
Wimbledon - R3 (2011, 2021)
US Open - F (2016)
Rajeev Ram Achievements and Records
Rajeev Ram is a former No.1 in doubles, and has reached as high as No. 56 in singles. His career doubles record stands at 433-307.
Some of Rajeev Ram’s achievements include:
6x Grand Slam champion (4 in men’s doubles, 2 in mixed doubles)
2x ATP singles titles
28x career doubles titles (men’s doubles and mixed doubles)
World No.1 in doubles (2022)
Olympic silver medalist (2016)
Rajeev Ram Coaching Staff
Rajeev Ram’s coaching team includes Bryan Smith and David O’Hare.
Rajeev Ram Philanthropy and Charity Work
The Rajeev Ram Foundation is a charitable organization that supports the growth of young tennis players, funds grants for tennis talents, promotes sporting and educational opportunities, and enhances the coaching experience for budding players to reach the top.
The foundation originated as ‘EntouRaj for Kids’ to aid high school teams in Indiana. “As I have gotten older, I take a lot from trying to help kids that are currently in a similar situation to what I was in,” he told USTA.com in 2021.
Rajeev Ram Diet
No information is available about Rajeev Ram’s diet. However, it takes a healthy lifestyle and good eating habits in order to stay fit and be successful for nearly 20 years. There was an interesting moment during the US Open 2023 wherein Ram was seen munching on some sushi mid-match.
Rajeev Ram House
Although he was born in Denver, Rajeev Ram currently resides in Carmel, Indiana. He moved there for the betterment of his professional career and personal life. According to some reports, Ram also owns a house in Northern California, where he works as a coach in a university. The cost of his houses aren’t known as of 2023.
Rajeev Ram Cars
No information is available about Rajeev Ram’s car collection.
FAQ's on Rajeev Ram
A. Rajeev Ram is 6’ 4” tall (193 cm).
A. No, Rajeev Ram was born and brought up in the USA. However, his parents are of Indian origin.
A. Yes, Rajeev Ram and Sania Mirza were mixed doubles partners at the Australian Open 2022.
A. The now 39-year-old Rajeev Ram announced his singles retirement back in 2017. However, he is still active on the doubles circuit.
A. Yes, according to numerous online sources, Rajeev Ram’s wife Zainab Saqib hails from Pakistan.
A. No, Rajeev Ram has not won any medal alongside Serena Williams. In fact, he teamed up with her sister Venus Williams to clinch an Olympic silver medal for the USA during the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.