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There was a way of pleasure round India’s marketing campaign within the Billie Jean King Cup playoffs held in Bengaluru earlier this month. There have been video messages from stars throughout sports activities — Sania Mirza, Rohan Bopanna, Mahesh Bhupathi, Veda Krishnamurthy, Abhinav Bindra, Anjum Chopra and others — wishing the Indian ladies the most effective.
The heightened sense of anticipation was comprehensible, provided that this was the primary time that the BJK Cup playoffs have been being staged in India. The Indian ladies had additionally come this far within the event for less than the second time (the maiden playoffs look was in 2020-21).
Air of optimism
Even earlier than Sahaja Yamalapalli, Shrivalli Bhamidipaty, Ankita Raina and Prarthana Thombare stepped onto the S.M. Krishna Tennis Stadium courtroom for the opening rubber, there was a celebratory temper, a heat feeling that Indian ladies’s tennis had come a good distance.
This optimism was a cushion for the autumn to return. On the courtroom, the gulf at school was unmistakable. Towards the likes of 2021 French Open semifinalist Tamara Zidansek, former World No. 58 Kaja Juvan (each from Slovenia), World No. 87 Suzan Lamens and top-200 participant Anouk Koevermans (each from The Netherlands), the host got here undone.
Sahaja (World No. 307) and Shrivalli (World No. 394), who solely get to face world-class opponents on uncommon events, managed to win only one set between them in 4 singles outings. Ankita and Prarthana fared higher within the doubles, notching up one win and a loss.
Regardless of the 4 losses, there have been positives for Sahaja and Shrivalli. There was a noticeable zip in Sahaja’s groundstrokes, whereas Shrivalli got here armed with two weapons so important in modern-day tennis — a powerful serve and a strong forehand.
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India’s run within the ‘Girls’s World Cup of Tennis’ thus got here to an finish, however the focus shifts to how the gamers can construct on this expertise and take their recreation to the subsequent stage.
Step one in direction of having gamers constantly within the top-100 is to host extra tournaments in India. It will give budding expertise entry to rating factors and match publicity, with out having to stretch restricted monetary assets with journey prices.
Sahaja echoed these views, including that the event of ladies’s tennis in India is a piece in progress. “We’ve come a good distance. I’m actually pleased with all the women in our staff. We positively want extra help, extra tournaments, and a greater system. It will assist us rise even additional,” she stated.
Because it stands, India has hosted seven ITF and two WTA tournaments in 2025, and is about to stage three extra ITF occasions in December. The ITF tournaments, which function a developmental circuit for the WTA Tour, present the perfect alternative for Indians to gather the rating factors wanted to be eligible for fundamental draw entry in higher-level Challenger and WTA occasions.
Karnataka State Garden Tennis Affiliation (KSLTA) joint secretary Sunil Yajaman believes that Sahaja and Shrivalli have the talent to enter the top-100.
Striving for extra: India No. 1 Sahaja Yamalapalli believes the ladies’s recreation has ‘come a good distance’ within the nation. ‘We positively want extra help, extra tournaments, and a greater system,’ she says.
| Photograph Credit score:
Ok. Murali Kumar
“To play extra ITF tournaments in India is the one logical step that Sahaja and Shrivalli can take. All our gamers ought to be capable of get into the top-300 with out having to journey out of India. We have to have that many ITF tournaments in India to make this a actuality,” Yajaman stated.
“If you’ll be able to have at the very least 20 weeks of ITF tournaments in India, to go together with the WTA 100 and 125 occasions, I see no cause why we can’t have at the very least 20 gamers within the top-300. From right here, 10 will be capable of get into fundamental attracts of Challengers in India and overseas. That is the place they’ll be capable of play at a better stage constantly and lift their rating. But it surely all begins with giving them the prospect to achieve the top-300 with out spending an excessive amount of cash.”
Hosts with probably the most
The KSLTA and the Maharashtra State Garden Tennis Affiliation have taken massive strides in direction of organising ITF tournaments. The KSLTA not too long ago introduced that the KPB Belief Girls’s Open ITF W100 Bengaluru will return for a fifth version subsequent yr.
Yajaman said that it isn’t troublesome for State associations to seek out sufficient sponsorship to host tournaments.
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“We’ve performed it on the KSLTA; we all know what it takes. States like Karnataka or Maharashtra are capable of have seven to eight weeks of event dates in a yr. Two or three extra States can simply do 5 to 6 weeks. My request is that if each State affiliation can have at the very least one event, then the tennis calendar will probably be full. Odisha has proven the best way now, with their authorities offering help. Everybody has to make an effort,” Yajaman stated.
Within the view of India BJK Cup captain Vishal Uppal, the Bengaluru leg was an enormous studying expertise. Uppal is all for extra event play, however is the primary to confess that the gamers must put within the work, too.
Health and temperament are two facets that Indian expertise should attempt to enhance, Uppal stated.
Very important belongings: On the BJK Cup playoffs, Shrivalli Bhamidipaty was armed with two weapons so important in modern-day tennis — a powerful serve and a strong forehand.
| Photograph Credit score:
Ok. Murali Kumar
“Each Slovenia and the Netherlands beat us on athleticism and maturity. We had loads of possibilities, loads of video games we have been 40-0 up, 40-15 up, however we simply didn’t convert. That is the place maturity is available in. The women from Slovenia and Netherlands performed predominantly risk-free tennis, whereas we have been going for it a bit an excessive amount of. We have to get somewhat bit extra disciplined and put the strain on the opponent much more,” Uppal stated.
“The highest gamers run down each shot. This forces the opponents to work the purpose somewhat more durable. If you need to work more durable on factors, this implies you additionally must work by yourself health so as to have the ability to maintain your self by means of the match.”
Uppal, a former nationwide champion, recalled watching Sania, the gold normal in Indian ladies’s tennis. The ferocious mindset that powered the previous World No. 27 is one thing that the present era should emulate, Uppal stated. “Sania stood aside because of her tenacity and mentality. That is one thing that our women can be taught from. Sania by no means backed down from a battle. If the women can imbibe this mentality, they’ll do effectively.”
Placing it in context
All issues thought of, Uppal believes that the gamers ought to be praised for reaching the playoffs, and never criticised for failing to advance to the Qualifiers spherical.
“There may be completely no failure. We maintain our heads excessive and stroll off the courtroom. I’m very pleased with the trouble the women have put in. Look, we’re enjoying at a stage we’re not used to enjoying at. Simply attending to this stage is an enormous feat. We beat some top of the range groups to get right here. Don’t neglect, that is solely the second time in 46 years that we’ve bought to the playoff stage. Allow us to not pull our women down. Let’s elevate them up in order that they arrive again harder, fitter, sooner, more durable,” Uppal stated.
Printed – November 29, 2025 01:04 am IST
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