India, Oct. 26 -- Why is tennis not as popular in India as it is in some other countries? Perhaps that is not the right question to ask. Just last week, I saw a thousand kids lined up for an opportunity that could bring them closer to a Grand Slam, giving them a chance to become something that 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer once was: a ball kid.

Under the guidance of the Indian tennis legend Rohan Bopanna, Kia, the multinational automobile manufacturer and a two-decade main partner of the Australian Open Grand Slam tournament, concluded the third season of its initiative to send four Indian ball kids to Melbourne for the Australian Open 2027.

The Australian Open 2024 champion and former men's doubles world No. 1, Boppanna, an...