What Indian women’s tennis needs to bridge the gulf to the elite

There was a consciousness of pridefulness astir India’s run successful the Billie Jean King Cup playoffs held successful Bengaluru earlier this month. There were video messages from stars crossed sports — Sania Mirza, Rohan Bopanna, Mahesh Bhupathi, Veda Krishnamurthy, Abhinav Bindra, Anjum Chopra and others — wishing the Indian women the best.

The heightened consciousness of anticipation was understandable, fixed that this was the archetypal clip that the BJK Cup playoffs were being staged successful India. The Indian women had besides travel this acold successful the tourney for lone the 2nd clip (the maiden playoffs quality was successful 2020-21).

Air of optimism

Even earlier Sahaja Yamalapalli, Shrivalli Bhamidipaty, Ankita Raina and Prarthana Thombare stepped onto the S.M. Krishna Tennis Stadium tribunal for the opening rubber, determination was a celebratory mood, a lukewarm feeling that Indian women’s tennis had travel a agelong way.

This optimism was a cushion for the autumn to come. On the court, the gulf successful people was unmistakable. Against the likes of 2021 French Open semifinalist Tamara Zidansek, erstwhile World No. 58 Kaja Juvan (both from Slovenia), World No. 87 Suzan Lamens and top-200 subordinate Anouk Koevermans (both from The Netherlands), the big came undone.

Sahaja (World No. 307) and Shrivalli (World No. 394), who lone get to look world-class opponents connected uncommon occasions, managed to triumph conscionable 1 acceptable betwixt them successful 4 singles outings. Ankita and Prarthana fared amended successful the doubles, notching up 1 triumph and a loss.

Despite the 4 losses, determination were positives for Sahaja and Shrivalli. There was a noticeable zip successful Sahaja’s groundstrokes, portion Shrivalli came equipped with 2 weapons truthful indispensable successful modern-day tennis — a beardown service and a almighty forehand.

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India’s tally successful the ‘Women’s World Cup of Tennis’ frankincense came to an end, but the absorption shifts to however the players tin physique connected this acquisition and instrumentality their crippled to the adjacent level.

The archetypal measurement towards having players consistently successful the top-100 is to big much tournaments successful India. This volition springiness budding endowment entree to ranking points and lucifer exposure, without having to agelong constricted fiscal resources with question costs.

Sahaja echoed these views, adding that the improvement of women’s tennis successful India is simply a enactment successful progress. “We person travel a agelong way. I americium truly arrogant of each the girls successful our team. We decidedly request much support, much tournaments, and a amended system. This volition assistance america emergence adjacent further,” she said.

As it stands, India has hosted 7 ITF and 2 WTA tournaments successful 2025, and is acceptable to signifier 3 much ITF events successful December. The ITF tournaments, which service arsenic a developmental circuit for the WTA Tour, supply the perfect accidental for Indians to cod the ranking points needed to beryllium eligible for main gully introduction successful higher-level Challenger and WTA events.

Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA) associated caput Sunil Yajaman believes that Sahaja and Shrivalli person the accomplishment to participate the top-100.

“To play much ITF tournaments successful India is the lone logical measurement that Sahaja and Shrivalli tin take. All our players should beryllium capable to get into the top-300 without having to question retired of India. We request to person that galore ITF tournaments successful India to marque this a reality,” Yajaman said.

“If you are capable to person astatine slightest 20 weeks of ITF tournaments successful India, to spell with the WTA 100 and 125 events, I spot nary crushed wherefore we cannot person astatine slightest 20 players successful the top-300. From here, 10 volition beryllium capable to get into main draws of Challengers successful India and abroad. This is wherever they volition beryllium capable to play astatine a higher level consistently and rise their ranking. But it each starts with giving them the accidental to scope the top-300 without spending excessively overmuch money.”

Hosts with the most

The KSLTA and the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association person taken large strides towards organising ITF tournaments. The KSLTA precocious announced that the KPB Trust Women’s Open ITF W100 Bengaluru volition instrumentality for a 5th variation adjacent year.

Yajaman stated that it is not hard for State associations to find capable sponsorship to big tournaments.

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“We person done it astatine the KSLTA; we cognize what it takes. States similar Karnataka oregon Maharashtra are capable to person 7 to 8 weeks of tourney dates successful a year. Two oregon 3 much States tin easy bash 5 to six weeks. My petition is if each State relation tin person astatine slightest 1 tournament, past the tennis calendar volition beryllium full. Odisha has shown the mode now, with their authorities providing support. Everyone has to marque an effort,” Yajaman said.

In the presumption of India BJK Cup skipper Vishal Uppal, the Bengaluru limb was a large learning experience. Uppal is each for much tourney play, but is the archetypal to admit that the players person to enactment successful the work, too.

Fitness and temperament are 2 aspects that Indian endowment indispensable strive to improve, Uppal said.

“Both Slovenia and the Netherlands bushed america connected athleticism and maturity. We had a batch of chances, a batch of games we were 40-0 up, 40-15 up, but we conscionable didn’t convert. This is wherever maturity comes in. The girls from Slovenia and Netherlands played predominantly risk-free tennis, portion we were going for it a spot excessively much. We request to get a small spot much disciplined and enactment the unit connected the hostile a batch more,” Uppal said.

“The apical players tally down each shot. This forces the opponents to enactment the constituent a small harder. If you person to enactment harder connected points, this means you besides person to enactment connected your ain fittingness successful bid to beryllium capable to prolong yourself done the match.”

Uppal, a erstwhile nationalist champion, recalled watching Sania, the golden modular successful Indian women’s tennis. The ferocious mindset that powered the erstwhile World No. 27 is thing that the existent procreation indispensable emulate, Uppal said. “Sania stood isolated acknowledgment to her tenacity and mentality. This is thing that our girls tin larn from. Sania ne'er backed down from a fight. If the girls tin imbibe this mentality, they volition bash well.”

Putting it successful context

All things considered, Uppal believes that the players should beryllium praised for reaching the playoffs, and not criticised for failing to beforehand to the Qualifiers round.

“There is perfectly nary failure. We clasp our heads precocious and locomotion disconnected the court. I’m precise arrogant of the effort the girls person enactment in. Look, we’re playing astatine a level we’re not utilized to playing at. Just getting to this level is simply a large feat. We bushed immoderate apical prime teams to get here. Don’t forget, this is lone the 2nd clip successful 46 years that we’ve got to the playoff stage. Let america not propulsion our girls down. Let’s assistance them up truthful that they travel backmost tougher, fitter, faster, harder,” Uppal said.