Sports

You need courage to pursue Tennis as career for a girl in India: Ankita Raina

by Trans World Features (TWF) 14 Sep 2015, 07:55 am

While Sania Mirza continues to rock as with Martina Hingis she just claimed the US Open title more women tennis sensations are in the making in India. Ankita Raina has been climbing the WTA rankings pretty steadily. At 16 she was both the Junior and Senior National champion. India's highest ranked Women's Singles Tennis player opens up about her goals and the different aspects of her life to TWF correspondent Sudipto Maity

How and why did you end up playing tennis?

I started at the age of 4. My mother has always been a sports enthusiastic, she herself was into athletics and a table tennis player. Also my elder brother used to play tennis until the 10th grade and then went for computer engineering. That's how I got into the world of tennis... 

 

How has been the journey so far?

The journey has been fantastic! All my dreams and goals have come true and been achieved so far…I have been the junior and the senior national champion in the same year 2009 at the age of 16 years. It was after that in 2010 February I made my debut in the Women’s Fed Cup team as a reserve and being the youngest player, with Sania leading the team in Malaysia. From 2010 to 2012 was my transition period from juniors to seniors and it was during those years I didn’t have any performance. In 2012 I won my first ITF in Singles and since then I have been doing well in singles and doubles. I won the women’s national championship again in 2013. With God’s grace I have been climbing the ladder and will hopefully keep going.
  
 

At what point did you realize tennis was ‘the game’ for you?
 

Since the day I started playing tennis…because even when I was a kid I always said I want to grow up to be a tennis player!
  

India has produced great doubles players, but has struggled to do the same in the singles category. Are you looking forward to breaking that trend? Why do you think India suffers from a shortage of quality singles players?
 

I don’t think that at all! We did have Sania Mirza in the top 30 of the WTA rankings, which is not a joke and which is not appreciated as much as it should be. And after her age group the lot of players either went to the States for university tennis or they weren’t too serious and that hard working or they weren’t very lucky with sponsorship or they didn’t have enough support from their family to pursue tennis as a career that too for a girl in Indian society you know how it works... 


Since the time you have turned pro, you have been constantly improving your game and it has reflected in the rankings. Do you think/believe you'll break into the top 100 in the WTA rankings by 2016? What is Ankita Raina's big dream?

That's my target and plan actually. I know I will have to work harder than I have ever done but I’m ready for it! To be “WORLD NO.1” , with the grand slam titles to be precise.

  
 

What was your first reaction after being drafted in the Fed Cup team?
 

Firstly, as I’m a strong believer of God, that got stronger! Also I realised the power of dreams and that one should never stop dreaming. Secondly, I was very excited that I will be playing for my country and to top it all it was with Sania leading the team! 
 

 

If not a tennis player, what would you have become?

 

Never thought of that to be frank but would prefer serving the country in either Army, Navy or the Air-force.
  
 

Is there any particular match you would rate as your favorite/ the most cherished so far?
 

Can’t say one…there are a few though! One of them is when I won my first national championship in juniors and seniors ( juniors was Adidas Nationals U-18 held in Chennai and seniors was Women’s Grass Court Championship in Kolkata). Another would be when I won my first title on the ITF Pro Circuit which was in Delhi, it was a $10,000 prize money tournament.
 

  
What do you do when you're not busy playing tennis?
 

I love to eat, I’m a big foodie! So hanging out with a friend for a coffee or going out for lunch/dinner with family. Dancing and movie in a theatre is another thing I’m very fond of
 

 

The weirdest rumor you have heard about yourself so far...
 

That I have a weak backhand!