So, without further ado let us jump right in the potentially interesting and exciting world that is Indian women’s tennis. It’s a scene that has been on the up and for many years now seeing some real amazing talent making themselves known globally. These women are excelling in all levels of the game from the Grand Slams to ITF Circuit, showing that they can compete with any player on a given day. Their passion, dedication and skill not only inspire a new generation of young players but have begun to challenge exactly what it means for athletes in India. We’re not just talking singles here… The Indian women are also shining in doubles and mixed results as they form partnerships among themselves or with the international players to register good rankings besides titles.
So, why should Indian women’s tennis matter to us? To begin with, it is a remarkable measure of the emancipation that women are experiencing in its journey. These athletes are doing what many people would consider impossible for girls, and showing young women around the country that they can do anything. With that, their performances on the international stage are fuelling Indian pride and giving India its much-deserved recognition in a sport which has largely been associated with certain countries. It is a tale of talent, persistence and the incredible power to inspire & unite!
Women’s Tennis in India
Finally, we traveled back in time and had a look at how women’s tennis started growing within India with the commencement of the upcoming ITF tournament. As any classic narrative tale would have us believe, it all began with a few brave souls looking to make an impact on the world for years and generations ahead. India in those days was a very small world of women’s tennis, with meager resources and limited opportunities. But that didn’t slow down these trailblazing ladies from going after their dreams and opening doors for generations to come.
Nirupama Vaidyanathan was one of the initial flag bearers for Indian women’s tennis. She became the first Indian woman to win a singles match at a Grand Slam in 1998. Her record victory in the Australian Open changed tennis for generations of young girls in India, who saw a future champion breaking through into the global stage.
But not all were personal bests. Indian women also imposed their presence in doubles events. Partnerships of players like Nirupama Sanjeev and Rushmi Chakravarthi played at major world tournaments, securing quality rankings. These early successes formed the base for women’s tennis in India to grow and develop into a platform that future generations could work on.
It’s very much a new native indian women’s playing golf,’ accompanied by using the number of resulting essential breakthroughs with regard to american native ladies practicing tennis over many years. These results have not only added shine to the game in the country but also pushed women’s tennis into national limelight. That has blossomed into a rich competitive scene which sees the second generation of talented players making its mark on the global stage today. At the end of it, this is a reflection of years and decades of toil put in by so many players – current and those who have come before – coaches and administrators for women’s tennis in India. We also look at a bright future and there’s no question that Indian women’s tennis is an undisputed next gen power, ready to conquer the world of tennis.
Top Female Indian Tennis Player
Here is a list of some Indian tennis players female, who have been making India proud with their excellent performance in the world of Tennis.
Current Leading Players
The next name that has become pretty popular in the Indian Tennis circles these days is Ankita Raina. Since then, it has been a slow and steady rise for this talented player in both singles & doubles as she keeps improving her WTA ranking perfectly blending along with representing the country on various international tours. Her biggest strengths are very strong groundstrokes and an aggressive game style, making her a tough matchup when on court.
Next shining star is Karman Kaur Thandi. A 6-foot-1-inch player, Karman has a big serve and strong groundstrokes. She already has a handful of ITF titles and is making inroads on the WTA circuit. From the looks of her sculpted bod and dedication, she is definitely one to keep an eye on in future years.
Another player who has been a revelation on the international stage is Rutuja Bhosale. She has a game that is good in all aspects and can play well on any surface. A proven doubles player, Rutuja boasts of multiple ITF Circuit titles and Grand Slam main draw appearances hinting her capability to compete at the highest level.
Player Profiles, Achievements & Highlights
Now, on to all the accolades and accomplishments for these 5 stud athletes.
Raina achieved her top career singles ranking – 160 in the world on Friday and also won quite a few ITF singles titles. The current world No 126 overpowered her opponent 6-2, with S New Delhi: India’s number four player Prerna Bhambri is a versatile sportswoman as she has donned the national colors in Fed Cup and other team events apart from excelling individually. The most memorable win for Ankita was winning the title at the $25,000 ITF from Gwalior INR while pairing with Karman Kaur Thandi (in 2018).
Thandi is ranked 196 in the world and she won several ITF singles as well as doubles titles. She is famous for her effective serve and can make winners from different parts of the court. Her biggest moment till date was in 2018 when she made it to the main draw of a Grand Slam for the first time, at the Australian Open, 11 years after Sunitha Rao had done so.
Bhosale has a career-high doubles ranking of 154 and she has won many ITF doubles titles. She is a baseline player but can also volley effectively at the net. In 2019, she went on to reach the final of India’s biggest ever tennis tournament WTA 125K Mumbai Open in doubles with Ankita Raina where they became first all Indian pair after more than a decade to play WTA tour event.
The Chhattisgarh Tennis which has produced more than 150 national champions and two junior French Open finalists is also home to Meenal Maharwal, like Rishika a former champion in both under-12 and under-14 age groups. She captained India on three World Grand Slam outings before moving up last year to Under-18s (above) where she established herself as one of Asia’s top players behind – guess who? Their successes are a reflection of their dedication, hard work and love for the sport. Their competitive spirits have not died down yet and as they continue to play at the highest level, it is laying a foundation for women tennis in India ensuring that a young up-and-coming Indian has someone she can look up to from her country.
Grand Slam Achievements
Sania Mirza is the uncontested queen of Indian tennis on Grand Slam stages. This bitch is not just a champion, she’s legendary. Having won a total of nine Grand Slam titles (three in women’s doubles and six in mixed as previously discussed), she has led the way for Indian women to follow her into grand slam glory. Stepping onto the hallowed grounds of Wimbledon, The French Open, The US open and finally winning. This is the feat Sania has managed to achieve, becoming India’s first women athlete to boast of such a stupendous achievement.
So, let’s walk down the memory lane with her in each of those Grand Slams. She clinched her first and only mixed doubles Grand Slam in 2009 at the Australian Open (with Mahesh Bhupathi) and it was followed with another win with the same partner at the French opening round again. She demonstrated her doubles excellence in 2015 when she won three Grand Slam women’s doubles titles back-to-back- Wimbledon, the US Open and the Australian Open – with Swiss partner Martina Hingis. Those wins were not just about the trophies, but also came on sheer grit and determination that she showed at the tennis court. She took on sterner opposition, won nail-biting contests and became an example for emerging tennis stars in the country.
However, Sania is not just a name on trophies. She has also been a record-breaker and proactive-setter in Indian tennis. In 2015, she rose to the claim of No.1 in women’s doubles rankings therefore becoming the first ever Indian female player to reach world no# 1 ranked by BWF [2] It was a truly momentous occasion – for Sania, but also Indian tennis in general. It was a statement that Indian women can compete, and win in the highest level of the sport.
And those unforgettable Grand Slam moments that Sania gifted us. She has brought countless thrills on the court, from her booming serves to acrobatic volleys. Her matches were more than about just winning, they exuded the love and enthusiasm she had for this game.
Indian Female Players in WTA Rankings
WTA rankings of Indian female tennis stars as of the latest update. Ankita Raina has been solid all throughout both in singles and doubles, she is currently the top-ranked Indian woman at #222. Chopra has improved her all-round game and is becoming better at adapting to different playing surfaces – as a result, climbing the rankings. She, in doubles has made a fearsome pair for other Indian players, always making it into the latter stages of most tournaments and bagging sublime rankings.
Ankita certainly isn’t the only Indian woman in WTA rankings. It tops off with Rutuja Bhosale and Karman Kaur Thandi giving the nation more zeal to celebrate with their consistent good play over rankings in recent times. The women are not just competing, they’re raising their game to an international level.
In the recent years we have seen notable progress in WTA rankings of Indian women players. An increasing number of Indian women are being ranked inside the top 200 and even reaching close to the top 100. For Indian women, it is an unbelievable testimony to growing strength and depth in the sport.
Rising Stars and Promising Talents
Looking to the future now, we bring you part ten of a series looking at some young guns on their way up in Indian tennis Some of the most promising talents who are grabbing headlines in the junior circuit and have talent to be future stars.
Zeel Desai is one of them. This young gun has really gone from strength to strength on the junior circuit and picked up lots of those silverware pots, slotted in top 10. Always a powerful hitter and aggressive from the baseline, she is now one of those players who can literally take you off the court if all systems go.
Mahak Jain has another potential. That is a player who has already fulfilled some promise by winning the girls’ doubles title at last year’s Australian Open (above). She has a great foundation off the ground and can really build some very good points. Keeping an eye on her will be worthwhile in the years to come as she has immense talent and drive.
These young players aren’t just winning matches, they are earning valuable experience playing against top quality competition. There, they are playing for India in international tournaments and getting better by the day; learning what it means to compete at the highest level. These two look set to take tennis by storm in years to come with the skills and future that they possess.
Challenges Faced by Indian Female Tennis Players
Indian women’s tennis is on the rise – but it isn’t all roses and sunshine. From the courts to a number of hurdles, ordeals these players who are naturally gifted with havetween faces whether on court and opulent.
Training and facilities are accessible to a few individuals. Despite the massive potential that lies in pockets and corners of our country, not every aspiring player gets access to world class coaches or training facilities. This can impair their ability to get good at something and become the best they can be.
The second biggest roadblock is the dearth of financial or sponsor support – for a 100 mithai boxes sold online. Tennis is a costly game once expenses for coaching, travel, equipment and tournament entry fees are taken into account. Players struggle to get sponsors,financial support etc making it difficult to compete & train like they should be able.
Resources and dollars are a necessary part but not the only piece of this puzzle. On the other hand, like most of us, even the female Indian tennis player face societal barriers and culture expectations. Cricket-centric India, where tennis is a poor cousin to the more popular sports and women’s sport in general commands little respect as compared to the men’s games. This only helps to complicate everything part of women in athletics, which makes women’s athletes fight that much harder just for their own gender based stereotype nonsense.
Indian Women’s Tennis in the Future
So what does it bode for the future of Women’s tennis in India? In fact (if current trends are any indication), it seems all but certainly so! We have a team of exciting young players on its way and they are motivated to win. The folks are biting, the lads (and ladies)in training and competition hard at it while dreaming of bigger things internationally.
We can look forward to many exciting encounters and breakthrough performances in the upcoming tournaments from our Indian Women. You will see them battling it out in the Grand Slams, on WTA Tour and other major tournaments around the world. May be a new Indian Grand Slam Champion in the making!
Contributions of Indian Female Tennis Players to Doubles and Mixed Doubles
Oh, and the doubles game! Indian women have made huge inroads as a pair – both in the women’s doubles and mixed doubles. The first overall and by a distance is Sania Mirza with all her wins in Mixed as well as Women’s doubles Grand Slams. But she’s not alone.
Several other Indian women players have joined hands with both the international and countrymen en route to finding top ranking which was required for conquering titles in various tournaments. Aside from showing us their personal talents, these women helped prove that they worked well as a unit based off of strengths and weaknesses and accomplished things together.
Sania Mirza- Martina Hingis: The duo went on to win three consecutive Grand Slam doubles titles together. Sania Mirza paired with Mahesh Bhupathi for two mixed doubles Grand Slam titles. The success of these partnerships didn’t just get India its moments in the sun, but planted a seed for more competitive doubles players.
Infrastructure for Women Tennis in India
In order to provide the acumen, India has been making strides towards developing its tennis structure. In the country, there are multiple significant tennis academies with best-in-class training and coaching setups for emerging players. These academies provide courts with modern facilities, fitness centers and all the equipment that are required in order to make a player achieve greater heights.
Over the years several prominent coaches and training programs have also sprung up, to guide or offer support to players. These are coaches who know the game inside-out and those same committed guys looking to help young players enhance their own objectives. They concentrate on the mental and physical sides of the game rather than just technical skills, which they believe gives their players a greater all-around ability to dominate in professional football.
Apart from that, also the Indian government and private organizations have been doing efforts in promoting tennis of all levels. Built around societies who are organizing tournaments, granting scholarships to the players and arranging competitions on international level. In the grand design of things, these are steps towards making a structure that helps in nurturing tennis and provide resources for talented players.
Conclusion
In the end, Indian women’s tennis has progressed a lot and it is only going to improve from here. There have been numerous players who not only passed the test at home but also excelled internationally in all these years. We have a new generation of starlets on the up and coming out to prove their worth. As you can imagine, we have a younger and younger workforce with an existing mature infrastructure that is still reinforcing & nurturing these players.
So the next time you hear about an Indian woman playing tennis, know that she did not walk out to just play a game. She was breaking barriers, smashing stereotypes and polarizing a nation. As such, her role in the scheme of things is steeped in so much tennis history and promise all at once.