Ramesh was born in Madras,[2] India, and is the son of Ramanathan Krishnan who reached the Wimbledon semifinal twice in the 1960s.

Ramesh was a stalwart on India's Davis Cup team from 1977 to 1993, compiling a 29–21 winning record (23–19 in singles and 6–2 in doubles).

[citation needed] At the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Ramesh reached the men's doubles quarterfinals partnering Leander Paes.

[citation needed] In 1998, Ramesh was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in recognition of his achievements and contributions to Indian tennis.

[3] Ramesh runs a tennis academy in Chennai, set up along the lines of similar institutions in the United States.