Identical to her enjoying days, 48-year-old Nirupama Sanjeev provides her all within the commentary field. Her years of enjoying on the WTA Tour together with Grand Slams and later stints at teaching kids, aspiring professionals, and her daughter have given her the added perspective of a participant, mother or father and coach.
It was all evident on the WTA 250 Chennai Open 2025 on the SDAT-Nungambakkam Stadium. The primary Indian girl participant to win a spherical at a Grand Slam (1998 Australian Open) spoke to The Hindu on a wide range of points together with what the present Indian gamers lack, the best way ahead and her views on on-court teaching, which was formally launched in January this yr.
“A superb coach sitting on the sidelines could make a variety of distinction,” stated the previous India No.1 and the 1998 Asian Video games bronze medallist in combined doubles with Mahesh Bhupathi.
When and the way did your commentating stint start?
It began first when the boys’s Gold Flake Open was held in Chennai within the yr 2000. After which, I did commentary for Star Sports activities and ESPN with Indian tennis legend Vijay Amritraj and Alan Wilkins for Wimbledon and US Open. I did it for a couple of years after which took a break as I used to be busy travelling with my daughter since she was competing in ITF tournaments. Now, she is pursuing teachers at Johns Hopkins College, Maryland, USA. And I’ve time.
Former Indian tennis participant and commentator Nirupama Sanjeev in dialog with Tamil Nadu Tennis Affiliation (TNTA) president Vijay Amritraj
| Picture Credit score:
B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM
You took your first break someday in early 2000, proper?
After my daughter was born in 2002, I didn’t have the bandwidth to journey. Particularly as a result of my husband additionally travels fairly a bit being in an IT job. Earlier than that, I used to be working the Niru’s Tennis Academy in San Jose (California) with my brother. Final yr, we closed it down. My brother and me ran it for 19 years from 2004 until 2023. Now, we host tournaments in Florida.
What sort of tournaments do you host?
We host United States Tennis Affiliation and UTR tournaments for aspiring professionals. I additionally train on the aspect and whoever actually desires can get coaching, largely juniors.
How a lot are you having fun with your second innings as a coach and commentator?
Sure, I like it. As a result of after my stint in teaching, perspective has modified. I simply don’t have the attitude of a tennis participant. I’ve the attitude of a coach and a mother or father. I’ve a plenty of views, which I really feel are far more vital now.
The place did you study the finer facets of commentary?
Really, the primary time I did it in Chennai, I did it with Vijay Amritraj in 2000. I used to be nonetheless on the tour at the moment. That’s after I did the commentary. Vijay gave a couple of tricks to make me really feel very relaxed. After which after I did for Star Sports activities in 2001, I used to be nonetheless enjoying. I used to be in Wimbledon (performed within the qualifying rounds). And that’s the place I met Alan Wilkins. He actually helped me rather a lot. I received to do commentary with former Australian coach Darren Cahill through the US Open when he was commentating for Star Sports activities. He’s one other particular person whom I learnt rather a lot. At Wimbledon, I learnt a bit from former participant Brad Gilbert. All these individuals, once you hear them speak, you simply study rather a lot.
You have been right here in 2022 for the WTA 250 Chennai Open as a commentator. How was your expertise?
Sure, I used to be right here. The sector was significantly better then. It’s additionally as a result of the climate was additionally very conducive. Having a 17-year-old Linda Fruhvirtova win the title was nice. The climate, I feel, is a foremost issue right now once you host tournaments. I feel it was useful in September [2022]. It was particular for me as a result of my daughter was there with me on the time as we have been going to an ITF event in Kuwait from right here [Chennai].
How has the expertise for you been this time round?
It’s been wonderful. And having Alan Wilkins right here could be very particular as a result of I haven’t seen him in practically 20 years. He’s partly my mentor within the commentator’s field together with Vijay Amritraj.
Any good matches you liked watching this time?
I actually loved watching Indonesia’s Janice Tjen as a result of she is so unconventional and she or he brings one thing that you simply don’t normally see. To see her (backhand) slice and are available and hit volleys, it’s enjoyable to see that. I did get pleasure from watching the Thai woman (Lanlana) Tararudee as nicely. She had a variety of persona. Particularly, the best way she hit the ball on her forehand was simply nice. After which, there was Croatia’s Donna Vekic. Our Indian gamers, Shrivalli Bhamidipatty and Sahaja Yamalapalli, I felt pleased seeing them play and carry out fairly nicely.
India’s Shrivalli in motion in opposition to Australia’s Birrell on the WTA Chennai Open.
| Picture Credit score:
B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM
How did the Indians, Shrivalli, Sahaja, Maaya Rajeshwaran play within the event?
Shrivalli performed rather well in opposition to Kimberly Birrell within the second spherical, dropping 7-5, 7-6 (2). It was a troublesome match. It may have gone both method. Our gamers lack the expertise to win on the degree. Sahaja, too, performed rather well. Maaya was too nervous. I don’t suppose that’s her recreation in any respect. She put an excessive amount of strain on herself for no purpose however then, you understand, you don’t understand how a 16-year-old thinks. 100% that’s not her recreation.
I feel we’ve to chop her some slack and let her breathe just a little bit and she or he must study from these. I do really feel just a little little bit of selection in shot-making will even assist our gamers. To match the highest gamers shot for shot is probably not the precise plan of action for us if our health isn’t on par with them.
Because you began enjoying within the Nineties, so many issues have modified in Indian tennis. How a lot has been for the higher and the way a lot for the more serious?
I nonetheless suppose event choice needs to be higher for the ladies. I feel they should do a greater job of choosing tournaments. Typically, you want to play lower-tier tournaments, get rankings, achieve confidence after which get seeded. Then go for higher-tier tournaments. Taking part in in USA is nice to get your degree up as a result of you’ll play in opposition to gamers who’re actually good and your degree will enhance however that’s not essentially the very best plan of action by way of your rankings, I really feel. I would love to see them play collectively and journey collectively. The ability is excessive. Ladies are hitting the ball a lot tougher. The physicality has modified. The restoration has modified. So has the longevity. The ice bathtub and all was remarkable after I was enjoying. For us, it was ‘you simply go and stretch.’
India hosted fairly a couple of WTT tournaments this yr. It did host a males’s Challenger and lower-level ladies tournaments this yr together with seven ITF Ladies’s World Tour tournaments and a WTA 125 and WTA 250. However do you suppose extra of 125 & 250 will assist Indians compete higher and enhance their recreation?
Lots of them aren’t that badly off. They’re able to go play outdoors India however it’s a must to qualify. Fourth seed Janice Tjen, who received the Chennai Open, is an efficient instance. If you happen to take a look at her file, she has come by means of the qualifiers, come by means of the exhausting method and goes on to do nicely in tournaments.
That’s an indicator that she is heading in the right direction. Indian gamers have to plan issues accordingly and have the precise coach travelling with them. Indian gamers are enjoying rather well. I feel Maya, Shrivalli, Sahaja ought to be a part of collectively, have a coach and journey collectively.
Tennis is a person sport. Is it potential?
That’s the factor. Then you definitely determine what’s vital. All I’m attempting to say is what Thailand did, that is what Indonesia did. It used to make an enormous distinction for them to play with one another. The security is taken care of and a coach they will share. There may be a lot that may be finished however time and time once more we’re going again to the previous factor of 1 participant travelling right here, one participant there. What’s the level. There needs to be a joint effort. In any other case, it isn’t going to work. Having 250 & 150 tournaments may or won’t occur. First, our recreation has to enhance after which we will get to that. I feel there can be extra tournaments when you see any individual [Indian players] make such strides. Folks will provide you with these tournaments, it would positively occur. However first let’s see the ladies moving into the world’s high 200. Then it would robotically occur. I assure you.
Do you continue to contemplate teaching younger and senior gamers?
See the factor is there needs to be mutual respect in teaching. I’m past that stage the place I need to babysit individuals. For me, it’s like if any individual actually desires to do it, they should need it rather a lot. I’m open to something. It’s simply that it needs to be on my phrases and we’ve to be aligned.
What’s your view on on-court teaching?
What I discovered after watching many matches right here was, these days the entire teaching situation has utterly modified since you are literally allowed to teach. From after I was enjoying to now, it’s utterly totally different. And the significance of coach who’s calm and composed and who may give the proper of recommendation to the participant has turn out to be far more vital. It has turn out to be fairly crucial. So any individual like Joanna Garland of Taipei who misplaced from 5-0 within the third set in opposition to Kimberly Birrell within the semifinals, I feel one thing like that would have been averted if there was coach in her camp who can inform her to be calm and inform her to do the precise issues. I really feel these days if any individual doesn’t have coach, I feel they will attribute a few of their losses to the coach!
I feel coach sitting on the sidelines can truly say only one or two issues like watch the ball or keep calm or be composed and don’t fear about outcomes. These issues can truly make a distinction.
How do you see your future as a commentator and coach?
I get pleasure from each, however I additionally get pleasure from being dwelling and doing gardening and taking good care of my canines. I’m equally pleased teaching grass-roots degree. I’ve a few younger youngsters in Florida to teach. I’m pleased doing that too. I’m acclimatizing myself with the newest teaching methods. I don’t need to journey for 30 weeks a yr.
On Rohan Bopanna’s retirement…
I had a unbelievable time in combined doubles with Rohan within the 2010 Commonwealth Video games in New Delhi. He was very supportive as I used to be making a comeback to the Indian workforce. We had a really powerful match in opposition to Anastasia Rodionova and Paul Hanley of Australia within the first spherical. We nonetheless pushed them to the third set earlier than dropping the decider 6-3. I nonetheless keep in mind that match. Rohan is a unbelievable particular person, at all times straight to the purpose. Nothing synthetic about him. Just a few years later, when my daughter was enjoying in an ITF event in Indian Wells, he got here to look at her. He’s very down-to-earth and am so fortunate to have identified him. Want him the very best in his retirement.
