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What Indian women’s tennis needs to bridge the gulf to the elite
What Indian women’s tennis needs to bridge the gulf to the elite Premium
There was a sense of pride around India's campaign in the Billie Jean King Cup playoffs held in Bengaluru earlier this month. There were video messages from stars across sports — Sania Mirza, Rohan Bopanna, Mahesh Bhupathi, Veda Krishnamurthy, Abhinav Bindra, Anjum Chopra and others — wishing the Indian women the best.
The heightened sense of anticipation was understandable, given that this was the first time that the BJK Cup playoffs were being staged in India. The Indian women had also come this far in the tournament for only the second time (the maiden playoffs appearance was in 2020-21).
Even before Sahaja Yamalapalli, Shrivalli Bhamidipaty, Ankita Raina and Prarthana Thombare stepped onto the S.M. Krishna Tennis Stadium court for the opening rubber, there was a celebratory mood, a warm feeling that Indian women's tennis had come a long way.
This optimism was a cushion for the fall to come. On the court, the gulf in class was unmistakable. Against the likes of 2021 French Open semifinalist Tamara Zidansek, former World No. 58 Kaja Juvan (both from Slovenia), World No. 87 Suzan Lamens and top-200 player Anouk Koevermans (both from The Netherlands), the host came undone.
Sahaja (World No. 307) and Shrivalli (World No. 394), who only get to face world-class opponents on rare occasions, managed to win just one set between them in four singles outings. Ankita and Prarthana fared better in the doubles, notching up one win and a loss.
Despite the four losses, there were positives for Sahaja and Shrivalli. There was a noticeable zip in Sahaja's groundstrokes, while Shrivalli came armed with two weapons so essential in modern-day tennis — a strong serve and a powerful forehand.
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India's run in the ‘Women's World Cup of Tennis' thus came to an end, but the focus shifts to how the players can build on this experience and take their game to the next level.
The first step towards having players consistently in the top-100 is to host more tournaments in India. This will give budding talent access to ranking points and match exposure, without having to stretch limited financial resources with travel costs.
Sahaja echoed these views, adding that the development of women's tennis in India is a work in progress. “We have come a long way. I am really proud of all the girls in our team. We definitely need more support, more tournaments, and a better system. This will help us rise even further,” she said.
As it stands, India has hosted seven ITF and two WTA tournaments in 2025, and is set to stage three more ITF events in December. The ITF tournaments, which serve as a developmental circuit for the WTA Tour, provide the ideal opportunity for Indians to collect the ranking points needed to be eligible for main draw entry in higher-level Challenger and WTA events.
Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA) joint secretary Sunil Yajaman believes that Sahaja and Shrivalli have the skill to enter the top-100.
Striving for more: India No. 1 Sahaja Yamalapalli believes the women's game has ‘come a long way' in the country. ‘We definitely need more support, more tournaments, and a better system,' she says. | Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar
“To play more ITF tournaments in India is the only logical step that Sahaja and Shrivalli can take. All our players should be able to get into the top-300 without having to travel out of India. We need to have that many ITF tournaments in India to make this a reality,” Yajaman said.
“If you are able to have at least 20 weeks of ITF tournaments in India, to go with the WTA 100 and 125 events, I see no reason why we cannot have at least 20 players in the top-300. From here, 10 will be able to get into main draws of Challengers in India and abroad. This is where they will be able to play at a higher level consistently and raise their ranking. But it all starts with giving them the chance to reach the top-300 without spending too much money.”
The KSLTA and the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association have taken big strides towards organising ITF tournaments. The KSLTA recently announced that the KPB Trust Women's Open ITF W100 Bengaluru will return for a fifth edition next year.
Yajaman stated that it is not difficult for State associations to find adequate sponsorship to host tournaments.
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“We have done it at the KSLTA; we know what it takes. States like Karnataka or Maharashtra are able to have seven to eight weeks of tournament dates in a year. Two or three more States can easily do five to six weeks. My request is if every State association can have at least one tournament, then the tennis calendar will be full. Odisha has shown the way now, with their government providing support. Everyone has to make an effort,” Yajaman said.
In the view of India BJK Cup captain Vishal Uppal, the Bengaluru leg was a big learning experience. Uppal is all for more tournament play, but is the first to admit that the players have to put in the work, too.
Fitness and temperament are two aspects that Indian talent must strive to improve, Uppal said.
Vital assets: At the BJK Cup playoffs, Shrivalli Bhamidipaty was armed with two weapons so essential in modern-day tennis — a strong serve and a powerful forehand. | Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar
“Both Slovenia and the Netherlands beat us on athleticism and maturity. We had a lot of chances, a lot of games we were 40-0 up, 40-15 up, but we just didn't convert. This is where maturity comes in. The girls from Slovenia and Netherlands played predominantly risk-free tennis, while we were going for it a bit too much. We need to get a little bit more disciplined and put the pressure on the opponent a lot more,” Uppal said.
“The top players run down every shot. This forces the opponents to work the point a little harder. If you have to work harder on points, this means you also have to work on your own fitness in order to be able to sustain yourself through the match.”
Uppal, a former national champion, recalled watching Sania, the gold standard in Indian women's tennis. The ferocious mindset that powered the former World No. 27 is something that the current generation must emulate, Uppal said. “Sania stood apart thanks to her tenacity and mentality. This is something that our girls can learn from. Sania never backed down from a fight. If the girls can imbibe this mentality, they will do well.”
All things considered, Uppal believes that the players should be praised for reaching the playoffs, and not criticised for failing to advance to the Qualifiers round.
“There is absolutely no failure. We hold our heads high and walk off the court. I'm very proud of the effort the girls have put in. Look, we're playing at a level we're not used to playing at. Just getting to this level is a big feat. We beat some top quality teams to get here. Don't forget, this is only the second time in 46 years that we've got to the playoff stage. Let us not pull our girls down. Let's lift them up so that they come back tougher, fitter, faster, harder,” Uppal said.
Published - November 29, 2025 01:04 am IST
Weekend Sport / tennis
Source: TheHindu
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