Game, Set, Legacy — From Pakistan's Courts to Global Tennis History: A global legacy is reignited through the lens of athlete-turned-author Hassan Akmal and the Career and Life Design Lab, celebrating the stories of Haroon Rahim, Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, and the future of South Asian tennis. A powerful new feature article is making waves across the global sports and humanitarian community, chronicling the unspoken stories of South Asian tennis legends and their profound impact on generations to come. Titled "From Pakistan's Courts to Global Tennis History", this piece brings together three remarkable athletes — Haroon Rahim, Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, and Hassan Akmal — whose lives span championship courts, global peace movements, and humanitarian leadership. This longform exposé centers on a new startup founded by Hassan Akmal, a self-taught tennis prodigy turned bestselling author and executive leader in higher education. Once training on cracked courts in Central California and later representing UCLA's elite Men's Tennis Team, Akmal now serves as a leading voice in purpose-driven leadership, innovation, and global empowerment. The story highlights: - Haroon Rahim, Pakistan's first Top 40 ATP-ranked player and youngest Davis Cup representative. - Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, who reached World No. 8 in doubles and co-led the "Stop War, Start Tennis" campaign. - Hassan Akmal, who rose from adversity to compete with world class players, and later dedicated 12+ years to humanitarian work focused on forced migration and global health. The article traces their intertwining paths, revealing how sport, mindset, and legacy continue to inspire barefoot children in South Asia who still believe they belong on the world stage. With powerful quotes, never-before-shared history, and a timely message for 2026 — the year of Aisam's retirement from professional tennis — this story is a rallying cry to invest in the dreams of rising South Asian tennis talent, long before they make headlines. It reflects the core mission of Career and Life Design AI: empowering youth to shape their futures with purpose, vision, and belief. Career and Life Design AI is a pioneering, human-centered technology company founded by bestselling author, educator, and visionary leader Hassan Akmal. Rooted in the science of purpose and storytelling, the platform leverages AI-driven tools to empower individuals to visualize, design, and align their careers and lives with meaning, impact, and legacy. By blending cutting-edge design thinking with narrative exploration, the startup is redefining how people—especially youth, changemakers, and underrepresented communities—shape their futures. Built at the intersection of education, mental wellness, and innovation, Career and Life Design AI is on a mission to democratize purpose, transforming adversity into alignment and career confusion into clarity. One of its flagship innovations is AI Agent Aiya — an empathetic digital companion designed to help users unlock self-awareness, reframe their personal stories, and become architects of meaningful change.
NEW YORK, Feb. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Lighting the Way: The Untold Story of South Asian Trailblazers and the Next Generation of Champions by Naila Farooq, Culture and Sports Editor, Asia Lens and Human Interest Column
Whether you play tennis or have never picked up a racquet, you have the right to dream — boldly, unapologetically, and with the tools to make that dream real.
Whether it's the blistering sun of Lahore or the packed stadiums of the ATP Tour, the language of tennis speaks in passion, persistence, and purpose. But behind every great player is often an untold story — not of fame or fortune, but of grit, solitude, and self-discovery.
Pursuing a professional tennis career — whether you grew up in South Asia or the West — demands more than talent; it often requires a financial leap of faith that few outside the sport truly understand. Unlike team sports, where organizations cover travel, accommodations, and support staff, tennis players operate as independent entrepreneurs, bearing nearly all expenses themselves. At the lower rungs of the professional ladder, players ranked outside the top 100 or top 200 frequently spend tens of thousands of dollars each year on travel, coaching, accommodation, and tournament entry fees — with some estimates suggesting annual outlays of $80,000-$100,000 or more even before adding a coach or trainer.
While prize money increases dramatically deeper into ATP and Challenger events, much of it goes right back into the year's operating costs, meaning many players simply break even or run a deficit. This reality paints a stark picture: regardless of geography, athletes who choose this path are not just playing a sport — they are making an economic sacrifice built on belief, resilience, and unwavering pursuit of a dream. Their struggles and sacrifices do more than define their own journey; they illuminate a broader truth about aspiration itself — that courage, relentless effort, and belief in possibility are what allow those from modest means to redefine what's possible on the global stage.
What is the power of belief when no one's watching? You will find it in the spirit of South Asian youth with dreams larger than their means, and the legacy of individuals who broke barriers so that others could dream louder.
At the heart of this story is Hassan Akmal — a self-taught undefeated junior player from Central California who picked up a racquet in the shadow of personal loss, only to rise into the state (ranked #9 in Nor Cal) and national spotlights, becoming a symbol of what is possible for those who fight with purpose. His journey parallels — and is inspired by — legendary figures like Haroon Rahim, and Pakistan Tennis Federation's President, Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, a global ambassador for the sport and social impact.
Together, these athletes represent multiple generations of South Asian excellence, each shaped by different circumstances but unified in one belief: tennis is not only a game — it's a calling. And now, their stories are combining to inspire a generation of children, some who still practice alone against a wall, believing that one day, they too will scale it and belong on the world stage. These stories whisper: "You are seen." The next champion might not come from tennis nor privilege, but from sheer will — and all they need is belief, access, and opportunity.
This feature article is a story of triumph and heartbreak, of boys who became role models, and of a legacy that refuses to fade.
In a humble rail‑road colony in Lahore called Mio Gardens, where children walked to the nearby tennis courts at sunrise, a foundation was laid. Not by chance — but by discipline and the wisdom of a father‑coach, and the infectious commitment of his son, Haroon.
Their world revolved around four simple principles — the "Four Commandments" — not just for tennis, but for life:
- Athletic readiness: Always start in the proper stance — prepared, alert, and present.
- Track before reacting: Watch the ball before it crosses the net, anticipating where it will land.
- Hit with purpose: Never hit into the net — hit over the net with intent, forcing the opponent to run.
- Recover and repeat: After every shot, return to position and repeat with precision.
These weren't abstract rules — they were ingrained as instinct. Haroon played the next serve not only with physical strength, but with a strategic mind rare in any athlete, at any age. These commandments changed a generation.
At just 15 years old, Haroon Rahim became:
- The youngest player ever to represent Pakistan in the Davis Cup.
- The youngest national champion in Pakistan's history.
Before he made headlines, he made disciples — siblings, teammates, and a community of young players who watched him rise before dawn, train alone with a bucket of balls, and treat every moment on the court as sacred.
Haroon's journey didn't stop in Lahore. He earned a scholarship to UCLA, where he became part of a powerhouse tennis culture alongside future legends like Jimmy Connors. At UCLA:
- Haroon won an NCAA doubles championship and reached the semifinals of singles.
- He pushed elite competition to new levels and his team won the NCAA team championship.
- His collegiate success laid the foundation for his pro career.
- The first Pakistani to reach the Top 40 in the world rankings (No. 34 in 1977).
He carried this elite competitive spirit into the professional circuit, defeating ATP titans in an era defined by aggressive serve-and-volley tennis. It was how he won. Haroon's style, intelligence, and fearless play left a mark on courts from Europe to the U.S., making his name synonymous with the word "prodigy" among those who witnessed his rise.
His competitive brilliance was never in question. Haroon claimed victories over world-class players — including none other than Jimmy Connors, one of the most dominant players of his era. These wins weren't flashes of brilliance; they were evidence that Pakistan had produced a generational talent with the skills and strategy to beat the very best.
Photographs of both Haroon Rahim and Hassan Akmal are enshrined at the UCLA Tennis Center, proudly displayed in the Hall of Fame corners. Their legacies hang side-by-side among legends, a silent reminder to every player who walks those courts: greatness doesn't ask for permission — it's carved through perseverance.
However, there are always unseen struggles behind the glory. As Haroon's star ascended, life's challenges struck with crushing force. Months before a pivotal match that might have made him a top‑10 player in the world, he lost his twin brother in Chicago — a tragedy that deeply affected him. But that wasn't the only blow. In 1977, at the peak of his career, Haroon suffered a serious ankle injury during a tournament in Washington D.C. The surgery that followed was intended to repair his body — but inadequately addressed the demands required of a world‑class tennis athlete. "He couldn't move laterally at all. His agility — the very heart of his game — was gone." —Mir Rahim, elder brother of Pakistan's greatest tennis player, Haroon Rahim
For a champion whose identity was inseparable from the sport, losing the ability to compete was devastating. Depression and identity-searching followed understandably.
Haroon tried to teach tennis. He searched through philosophy, spirituality, and even spent time in India looking for answers — but nothing filled the void left by the game he loved.
His final years became a mystery, a narrative passed by whispers rather than records. Reported sightings describe a man disconnected from the world he once dominated — no shoes, rugged clothing, and far from the center court lights he once commanded.
"What happened to Haroon…why did he disappear?" The answer isn't simple. His decline wasn't caused solely by personal loss or marital challenges — it was born from an unjustly repaired injury that stole his ability to play, and with it, his purpose.
This is the part of the story that has gone untold — until recently.
A legacy reclaimed: Today, Haroon's lessons live on. The principles he internalized — the disciplined commitment, the mental strategy, and the relentless pursuit of excellence — continue to shape athletes who follow his path.
Whether it's tennis, golf, pickleball, or life itself, these teachings translate beyond sport and have motivated hearts of champions, including Hassan Akmal. Following in Haroon's footsteps, Hassan emerged decades later as one of the most talented tennis players ever to rise from Pakistan roots — not because of a family legacy, but in spite of the lack of one.
Unlike many peers who had the benefit of coaching, financial support, and national endorsement, Hassan was self-taught, having lost his father just one year after he gifted Hassan his first tennis racquet. He rose without anyone in his family having ever played tennis, through relentless mastery, discipline, and drive. No personal coaches. No privilege. Just passion, persistence, and purpose, leading him to win the Sierra Sport & Racquet Club Boy's 18 and Under Singles and Doubles Championships when his family couldn't afford the club membership initiation fees initially.
Hassan would eventually join UCLA's #1 nationally-ranked elite tennis program, becoming part of a historic team that in 1999:
- Won the National Indoor Team Championships
- Captured the Pac-10 Title
- Reached the NCAA Championships finals, narrowly losing to Georgia 4-3 after having a championship point
During his time at UCLA, Hassan Akmal's talent and presence on court earned him rare opportunities — including being named an alternate practice partner for tennis legend Andre Agassi. He also had the chance to meet and occasionally hit with Pete Sampras, who would visit UCLA's tennis facilities and call ahead looking for a quality practice session. Sharing the court with some of the greatest players of all time deepened Hassan's understanding of elite performance and helped instill the high standards and discipline that would later become foundational to how he approached both life and leadership. He was eventually sponsored by Adidas and Prince — a rare achievement for a college athlete who began with no financial backing, only drive
Off the court, Hassan was known for his focus and determination. On the court, he was electric. He not only competed against top 100 ranked players in the world, but won matches against them, including Robert Kendrick and Justin Gimelstob — respected names on the ATP Tour. His training was equally stellar. Hassan sharpened his game alongside former World No. 25 Ronald Agenor, known for his grit and flair, and Aqeel Khan, Pakistan's longstanding #1 ranked player, multiple-time Davis Cup representative, and national champion. He built his strength, precision, and tactical awareness through these formative sessions, shaping a game that was as cerebral as it was physical.
Today, Hassan Akmal is a global advocate for career and design, innovation, and youth empowerment. He's the author of several best-selling books, Redesigning Your Life: The AI Mosaic of Career and Life Design, The Interior Design of Your Career and Life, How to Be a Career Mastermind: Discover 7 YOU Matter Lenses for a Life of Purpose, Impact, and Meaningful Work, and You are the Artist of Your Life. He is the founding executive director of the Career Design Lab of Columbia University, which integrates human-centered strategies to transform how people shape their futures.
In a recent interview with Hassan, he discussed his desire to partner in a shared mission to give back to Pakistani tennis under the leadership of Aisam-Ul-Haq, the President of the Pakistan Tennis Federation. Hassan Akmal, a self-taught champion, honors tennis legends beside him—and sparks a new era for South Asian athletes with purpose, passion, and grit. Akmal believes no young athlete should be left behind simply because they lack resources or financial backing — and that the next Haroon, Hassan or Aisam may already be training with worn shoes and torn clothing.
Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, another iconic figure in Pakistani tennis, became a household name not only for his success on the ATP Tour — peaking at World No. 8 in doubles — but also for using sport as a platform for peace. His historic partnership with Indian tennis star Rohan Bopanna, famously dubbed the "Indo-Pak Express," sent a powerful message to the world: "Stop War, Start Tennis."
Their wristbands, seen globally during the 2010 US Open, became symbols of unity and diplomacy in a region too often divided by conflict. That same year, Hassan Akmal met Aisam in person at the US Open while supporting and cheering for him in the stands. Though they had met a few times during qualifying rounds in Los Angeles, and exchanged words briefly years earlier — it was at Flushing Meadows that they were unknowingly planting new seeds for a deeper alignment of values and purpose.
Pre/post Davis Cup trials in Pakistan — Hassan was training in the searing 120-degree heat of Lahore and Islamabad, the sweat so relentless it melted the racquet grip from his blistered hands, despite using saw dust. Even then, it was clear that these two athletes — shaped by different paths — were destined to influence far more than match outcomes.
Aisam's global message of peace through tennis resonated deeply with Hassan, who had dedicated over 12 years of his life to working with vulnerable populations — focusing on forced migration, global health, and humanitarian affairs. His experiences working with international NGOs and advocating for displaced communities became a natural extension of the empathy and drive he'd cultivated through sport. In recognition of this commitment, Hassan was prestigiously invited to serve as the five-year Athlete Ambassador for Pakistan with Right to Play, a global organization harnessing the transformative power of sport and play to educate and empower children facing adversity. The appointment symbolized a convergence of his athletic, humanitarian, and leadership journeys — all rooted in the belief that tennis, like life, is most meaningful when used as a platform to uplift others.
Their meeting became a bridge between sport and service — and today, both men are united in their mission to empower the next generation of South Asian youth.
Hassan's teammate at UCLA, Julien Rojer, would later go on to reach the top 5 (#3) in the world in doubles in 2015 — partnering with none other than Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi. Watching two of his closest tennis peers, one a teammate and one a fellow Pakistani, rise to global stardom in doubles was both inspiring and bittersweet — a reminder of what might have been, and what still could be.
In his very inspiring and popular TEDx Talk, The Power to Design a Life You Love, Hassan Akmal poses a powerful question:
"What if you could design a life that matters — not just for yourself, but for the world?"
This theme echoes across everything he touches — from his bestselling books to his pioneering work and authorship in career and life design, global education, and social innovation. He's helped thousands of students and professionals unlock purpose through storytelling, AI-powered design thinking, and self-actualization frameworks that champion dignity, meaning, and legacy.
Before life took him to global stages in academia, Hassan Akmal was widely known for being one of the most talented South Asian tennis players of all time— a force on the court whose game was as beautiful as it was powerful. He was known for his powerful serve-and-volley style, a ripping and signature one-handed backhand, and extraordinary strength. He consistently clocked serves between 130–137 mph, and won runner-up in a fastest serve contest with a blistering 140 MPH rocket.
But Hassan's promising pro career was cut short — not by injury, but by circumstance. After training with renowned Portuguese coach Fernando Vicente-Ferreira and competing on the ATP tour, the mounting financial strain became unsustainable. Then came a turning point: a harrowing near-kidnapping on the Afghanistan border during a humanitarian mission. Like Haroon Rahim before him, Hassan later described stepping away from the sport he loved as "the most difficult decision of my life."
And yet, walking away from tennis didn't mean walking away from purpose.
Hassan reimagined his future — becoming a celebrated professor, bestselling author, TEDx speaker, and currently serves as the CEO, President, and Chief Architect of Superintelligence for Career and Life Design AI. Through Career and Life Design AI, he is transforming adversity into career alignment, equipping youth across the globe with the mindset, tools, and stories to build a future on their own terms. In a world where inner potential often goes unseen, and for those carrying dreams larger than their means, this platform — and its intelligent guide, AI Agent Aiya — offers something more than guidance. It offers belief.
Behind every champion is a moment when someone first believed their life could matter — not just on the court, but far past it. It's not about prescribing a path — it's about illuminating possibility, amplifying inner potential, and providing the scaffolding of belief, clarity, and support for those navigating uncertainty. Because whether it's on the court, in classrooms, or in code — every life deserves the chance to be designed with intention.
He is also an integral part of the startup ecosystem in Silicon Valley as a senior talent strategist and member of the Google for AI Startups Cloud Program. Prior, as the Inaugural Executive Director of Industry Relations and Career Strategies at Columbia University and Inaugural Executive Director of the Career Center at UCLA, he has spent over a decade empowering youth around the world to redefine success — on their own terms. Now he combines his experience with a refreshed focus on the intersection of life design and artificial intelligence.
For Hassan, visualization, intention, and mindset were never just tools for winning points — they were a way of being. "The story you tell yourself — about yourself — matters," he often says. Because while talent may open the door, mindset designs the space you step into. His personal journey from tennis courts to classrooms, from tragedy to transformation, is a living testament that life — like tennis — is not about avoiding failure, but embracing it, reaping the hidden benefits, growing, recovering and living.
From Passion to Platform: Turning purpose into scalable impact is what the startup is all about. The journeys of Haroon, Aisam, and Hassan remind us that greatness often begins with limited means and boundless vision. But as the world moves forward, vision alone is no longer enough. Today's dreamers need infrastructure, affirmation, and intelligent support systems that can evolve with their potential.
That's where Career and Life Design AI steps in. What began as a personal philosophy forged on tennis courts and tested through humanitarian work has now evolved into a transformative engine for human potential for millions. Hassan Akmal didn't walk away from tennis — he walked toward a mission: to democratize purpose, and to build something that could help every young person design their life with intention, clarity, and belief while leveraging human-centered technology.
The next generation is a Purpose-Driven Generation. Career and Life Design AI is a living, learning, and evolving system built on the core truth that each life, no matter where it begins, deserves the tools to find alignment and thrive. It brings together coaching, storytelling, and intelligent agents into one powerful experience.
With AI Agent Aiya at the center, this ecosystem does what mentors, coaches, and world-class educators have always done — but at scale. Not just answering questions, but activating clarity. Not just suggesting paths, but simulating futures. It's the bridge between barefoot dreamers and boardroom decision-makers. Between possibility and realization.
Why does this matter now? In a world where athletic greatness and stories are often measured by trophies and titles, these players' legacies extend far past the tennis courts — and the journeys of such athletes remind us that impact is measured in lives forever improved. This isn't nostalgia. More than history — it's heritage. These champions reveal a deeper metric: legacy measured by lives touched, mindsets transformed, and futures redesigned.
The next generation of South Asian tennis champions are still overcoming limiting beliefs, discovering the situations that bring out the best in them, and conquering imposter syndrome. Tales of tennis, yes, but more importantly, these are stories of resilience, of belief in oneself when no one else sees the vision, and of the power to transform struggle into service.
Beyond the baseline, we are entering a new era for South Asian Tennis. Now, in 2026, as Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi officially retired from professional tennis — closing a remarkable chapter of representation for Pakistan on the world stage — a new torch is being passed. One that these gentlemen are ready to carry forward in a new way — not just through legacy, but through mentorship, empowerment, and the rise of South Asian tennis from dusty courts to the world stage.
These three athletes — Haroon, Aisam, and Hassan — all originally from Lahore, Pakistan, each answered that question in their own way with their unique charming smiles. Haroon, through discipline and unmatched early talent. Aisam, through diplomacy, breaking records, and a global peace message that crossed borders. And Hassan, through human leadership, raw talent, and redefining what it means to win — not just on the court, but in the lives of thousands he continues to uplift through innovation, design, and humanitarian work.
This is just the beginning. With the continued evolution of Career and Life Design AI, upcoming initiatives aim to expand access to purpose-driven coaching, mindset mastery, sport for development and well-being programs, and storytelling frameworks for underrepresented youth across South Asia and worldwide. From grassroots tennis academies to digital career labs powered by AI Agent Aiya, the mission is clear: to equip young people not only with opportunity, but with the clarity to design meaningful lives. Whether through mentorship, strategic investment, or partnership, there are countless ways to help pave new paths for dreamers still rising before dawn — because every life, like every match, deserves a fighting chance.
After all, designing a life you love isn't just about achieving success. It's about transforming adversity into alignment, purpose into action, and passion into legacy.
The future of the game will be built upon remembering the street kids who dream — and building a world where they can rise. In life, in their careers, in their pursuit of happiness. They are the champions to come.
What started as lessons learned under stadium lights, or in some cases no light, has grown into a framework for unlocking career and life vision. Whether a young person is chasing a championship, designing a startup, or simply mastering a video game — the goal is the same: to create a path to self-realization and actualization.
The journey isn't just from court to championship — it's from limitation to liberation, from survival to self-actualization. And as Hassan Akmal teaches, "when you master your mindset, you don't just play the game — you transform who you are." Now is the time to fund, mentor, and celebrate the next generation of South Asian tennis champions — not when they win, but while they're still practicing with worn shoes, daring to believe they can.
It's time to design your future self. Through superintelligence, adaptive guidance, and a deep understanding of human complexity, the platform empowers individuals to become who they were always capable of becoming. It's not about forcing a direction — it's about revealing design pathways, amplifying innate capacity, and offering a career and life canvas for those navigating uncertainty.
And with the torch passed from Haroon, Aisam, and Hassan to light the next generation — they will.
Media Contact
Press and Media, Career and Life Design AI, 1 8582035724, [email protected], www.CareerandLifeDesign.ai
SOURCE The Global South Asia Times
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