The Indian women’s tennis team is hoping to script history at the Billie Jean King Cup this weekend as they take on Slovenia and the Netherlands in the Group G Play-offs in Bengaluru.
This is the second time that India has made the Play-offs of the premier international women’s tennis team event and the first time that they are hosting such a significant tie. The first and only other time that India reached the Play-offs was in 2021, when they went down 1-3 to Latvia in Jurmala.
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While Indian icon Sania Mirza led India to the Play-offs four years ago, this Indian team, made up mostly of journey-women, has revived the dream yet again. During the Asia/Oceania Group I in April in Pune, they defeated more fancied teams like South Korea and Thailand to secure a berth in the Play-offs.
The 21 nations competing in the BJK Cup Play-offs have been divided into seven groups, and only the top team from each group will advance to the 2026 Qualifiers, and within striking distance of the showpiece 2026 Finals.
The Indian squad -- Sahaja Yamalapalli, Shrivalli Bhamidipaty, Riya Bhatia, Ankita Raina and Prarthana Thombare – face more formidable opponents this time around. Former finalists the Netherlands are ranked 14 in the world, Slovenia 19th, while India come in at No. 27. India captain Vishaal Uppal is hoping for yet another defiant performance as the country chases its first BJK Cup Qualifiers berth.
In an interview with AllSportsPeople, the 49-year-old Uppal, a former Davis Cup player, talks about his team and the size of the task ahead. Edited excerpts:
MLSTA
How significant is the BJK Cup Play-offs for women’s tennis in India?
We're in a process of building and growing women's tennis in India. Getting to this stage - considering how little support women's tennis gets in India - it's a great achievement for us. But we're all kind of hungry enough to know the job is not done yet. We are excited, we are looking forward to putting up a great show. There are many miles to go, many mountains to climb.
Both Slovenia and Netherlands have Top 100 singles players, while India’s highest-ranked player, Sahaja Yamalapalli, is 309 in the world.
They are high quality teams. Their players play top-level tennis. They are going to be very tough competitors. Having said that, this is BJK Cup and in team competitions anything can happen. If we can come out with high energy and get off to a good start, we can set the cat among the pigeons.
We did very well in Pune, beat some good teams, some higher-ranked players. Even Slovenia and Netherlands will be wary of that. On paper we may not be as strong, given the rankings of our players, but we are dangerous.
What is it like playing a Cup tie at home? Does it create more pressure?
For me it's always a boost, and that's how we have to approach it mentally. If we take it as pressure, we are pretty much hurting ourselves. We will have the crowd behind us, and we will obviously have to give the crowd a reason to get behind us. The way we do that is coming out and fighting hard for every ball, every point. And hope that unsettles the opponent as well.
What are the playing conditions like in Bengaluru, which is over 900m above sea level?
At high altitude, the ball definitely travels faster through the air and it jumps a lot higher off the court when you hit with spin. This is why we had a 10-day camp before the Play-offs. Also, all these players are professionals, they would have played at high-altitude venues, so it’s not a complete novelty. It depends on how we adapt to the conditions and use them to our advantage.
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How do see the progression in India players’ individual performances from the Group ties in April to now?
They’ve all had their challenges the last 3-4 months, but all of them seem to be coming into form now. Chennai Open was good for them, and hopefully, they will build on that momentum.
You were the captain when India played Latvia in the Play-offs in 2021, the first time ever that they reached that stage. How was that experience and what can you learn from that?
That was a different format. That was India vs Latvia, and now there are three teams in the group. Now you have to not cause just one upset, but two upsets.
That was in COVID times, so mentally it was a different ball game for the players. Now we're playing at home, so we're hoping Bengaluru comes out in big numbers and becomes the X-factor for us.
We have to build on the good work we're putting in. We have to let the people of India know that women's tennis is on the rise. Please take a look at it, support it and help it grow. For that, India hosting BJK Cup playoffs, it's great.
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