Indian Tennis: The long rally

Bengaluru: When it comes to women’s tennis in India, there’s only one name that pops up instantly: Sania Mirza. From breaking into the top 30 in singles with a career-high ranking of world No. 27 in 2007 to winning six Grand Slam doubles titles, Sania made the game a movement.

Her success made millions of young girls believe that a racket could change their lives.

“There is a tremendous increase in the number of girls taking up tennis nowadays. The number was far less earlier before it all changed after Sania’s success,” experienced coach Jayant Khade tells DH.

But here’s the part that stings. Despite inspiring a generation until her retirement in 2023, Sania remains an anomaly. For all her success and the millions she motivated, no Indian woman has yet come close to replicating her level of achievement on the global stage.

A quick look at the current WTA singles rankings makes that gap clear. Sahaja Yamalapalli sits as India’s highest-ranked singles player at world No. 347, followed by Shrivalli Bhamidipaty at No. 377. It doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in a country obsessed with champions, yet, true fans of the sport wonder what did Sania do differently?

In India, most players start competing around the age of eight, participating in local AITA events and later in ITF junior tournaments abroad until they turn 18. Since Sania’s rise, names like Prerna Bhambri, Mahak Jain, Riya Bhatia and Zeel Desai have emerged from the system.

They’ve all tasted success at the national level, and many even broke into junior Grand Slam main draws. But the moment they turn 18 and step into the pro circuit, everything changes. That’s where the grind truly begins.

To climb the WTA rankings, players chase points across continents, competing week after week in ITF events, before advancing to WTA 125 and 250 tournaments once they earn enough points. A player’s ranking is calculated based on their best 18 performances in a calendar year; a system that sounds fair on paper but punishing in reality.

It’s brutal in the early stages. Most youngsters rack up more losses than wins while competing in 25 to 30 tournaments annually. The physical and mental toll is immense as the pro circuit isn’t just about talent, it’s a test of resilience.

“The transition from juniors to the pro level is tough for everyone,” says India’s No. 1 Sahaja Yamalapalli, who recently stunned former US Open champion Sloane Stephens. “There were times it was frustrating, but I learned to see losses as part of the process. Every match, even the tough ones, helped me understand what I needed to improve. I focused on growing rather than getting discouraged, and that shift really helped me stay consistent.”

The bigger challenge, however, lies in funding the dream. Tennis is notoriously expensive, and parents shoulder most of the cost early on, including travel, accommodation, coaching and nutrition. Those expenses skyrocket once players start traveling abroad with a coach or a trainer. For women, the costs often double, since traveling alone can be risky; and to top it off, the prize money at women’s events remains lower than men’s.

That’s why many top Indian talents choose the US collegiate system. It’s a golden ticket, not just for free education, but for access to top-notch facilities, physiotherapists and structured athletic programmes that India still struggles to provide.

The trade off, however, is limited participation in WTA events during those four college years. Some skip college to stay on tour but find themselves struggling for sponsors to cover their growing expenses.

“I didn’t take multiple opportunities for scholarship in US collegiate but I would recommend others to not miss out on it for the exposure it brings and how it changes you as an athlete once you come out of it,” says India’s No. 3 Riya Bhatia, who still doesn’t have a sponsor and relies on prize money and her public-sector job to keep her tennis dreams alive.

To ease the financial burden, players often turn to the All India Tennis Association (AITA) or seek government aid. States like Gujarat and Maharashtra offer financial assistance, while the Sports Ministry’s Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) provides funding to medal hopefuls. But that support typically arrives only a year before a multi-sport event, often too late for those struggling through the grind.

A more immediate fix would be hosting more international tournaments within India. It would drastically cut travel costs and allow players to accumulate ranking points without constantly flying abroad.

“If India could host 10-12 events in a year, that would have been really helpful,” says Riya. “At the moment, we have only 6-7 events, and they’re spaced out across the year. If there were two or three tournaments scheduled consecutively in India, that would make a huge difference.”

In 2025, India will host 21 senior-level events, but only one WTA Tour and one WTA 125 event. The rest are ITF Women’s World Tennis Tour tournaments, which offer smaller prize pools and fewer ranking points. Compare that with China, which has 38 events, including three high-profile WTA 500 and Masters tournaments, and five WTA 125s.

Yet despite these hurdles, the country’s best players continue to fight on. Later this year, India’s top women -- including Sahaja and Riya -- will join forces in Bengaluru for one of their biggest tests yet: the Billie Jean King Cup playoffs.

While India returns to the stage after a gap of four years, the format has changed this time. Instead of the old home-and-away knockout ties, it’s now a three-team round-robin group. India has been drawn in Group G, alongside two-time runners-up Netherlands and 2003 quarterfinalists Slovenia, with matches set for November 14-16 in Bengaluru.

Given the strength of their opponents, India will look to make the most of their home advantage. It won’t be easy -- not without Sania -- but the team’s spirit is far from broken.

“You have to play with the cards in your hands, isn’t it?” says India’s captain Vishal Uppal. “Obviously Sania is retired so we have to figure out the best we can do to win. It’s an uphill challenge for us; but we don’t know how to back down either.”

For India’s women, that’s always been the story; a mix of dreams, grit and grind. Sania lit the path two decades ago but today’s players are still running the marathon she started, one tough match and one long flight at a time.