Ankita Raina

India convincingly swept aside Mongolia in the Billie Jean King Cup Asia/Oceania Group 1 tie in New Delhi. But the bigger challenge awaits a day later, against Korea, amid slim playoff qualification hopes.

India kicks off its Billie Jean King Cup campaign against Thailand, aiming for a World Group playoffs spot. Spearheaded by veterans ankita raina and Rutuja Bhosale, the squad, bolstered by late addition Zeel Desai, is physically and mentally prepared.

India bounced back strongly against New Zealand, securing a decisive 3-0 victory to keep their Billie Jean King Cup playoff hopes alive. After an early setback against Thailand, debutant Vaishnavi Adkar and a resilient Sahaja Yamlapalli delivered crucial singles wins. The team's performance showcased remarkable determination and a strong comeback spirit.

India faced a 1-2 defeat against Thailand in the Billie Jean King Cup's Asia/Oceania Group I tie. Sahaja Yamalapalli's valiant effort in the second singles match concluded in a narrow loss after a rain delay. Despite the tie being decided, the doubles pair of Rutuja Bhosale and ankita raina secured a win, salvaging some pride for the Indian team.

India beat Korea 2-1 to win their fifth and final tie in the Billie Jean King Cup. India had to win 3-0 and needed other result to go their way, but neither worked out. India finished third in the group and will not qualify for the playoffs.

India suffered a 0-3 loss to Indonesia in the Billie Jean King Cup after a series of missed opportunities. Vaishnavi Adkar and the doubles pair of ankita raina and Rutuja Bhosale let winning chances slip, while Sahaja Yamalapalli struggled against a higher-ranked opponent. Coach Vishal Uppal said, “I think today was a day of missed chances,” urging players to learn, improve, and keep fighting despite fading qualification hopes.

India's top tennis player ankita raina stated the national team is drawing inspiration from the women's cricket team's ODI World Cup victory ahead of the Billie Jean King Cup tie. Raina emphasized the team's motivation to achieve a historic third qualification for the World Group playoffs, aiming to elevate Indian women's tennis.

India's Billie Jean King Cup campaign faced setbacks with Shrivalli Bhamidipaty's back spasm and Vaidehee Chaudhari's ankle injury. Zeel Desai has joined the squad as cover, bringing depth to the team led by India No. 1 Vaishnavi Adkar. The team aims to qualify for the playoffs in this round-robin format.

Vaishnavi Adkar and Sahaja Yamalapalli earned their first wins in India colours, helping India take an unbeatable lead against New Zealand in the BJK Cup Asia/Oceania Group 1 tie. Later, ankita raina and Rutuja Bhosale ensured a clean 3-0 win.

India trailed Thailand 0-1 in a rain-affected BJK Cup Asia/Oceania Group 1 tie in New Delhi. Vaishnavi Adkar lost her match and Sahaja Yamalapalli's contest was interrupted by rain before play was suspended for the day.

Former player Vishal Uppal leads India in the Billie Jean King Cup's Asia/Oceania Group 1, aiming to build depth in women's tennis. Having experienced the game's pressures firsthand, Uppal emphasised mental fortitude over technique at this level. In the BJK Cup, India face a tough challenge against New Zealand, Korea, Indonesia, Mongolia, and Thailand, with qualification for the playoffs as their goal.

India's doubles prowess contrasts with singles struggles ahead of the Billie Jean King Cup. With no players in the top 300, captain Vishal Uppal highlights systemic gaps, advocating for broader investment in young talent and athletic development to foster future champions and improve global competitiveness.

Shooter Samrat Rana and cricketer Smriti Mandhana were crowned Sportspersons of the Year at the TOISA 2025 awards in Lucknow. Javelin thrower Sumit Antil and archer Sheetal Devi also received top honours in the para category. The ceremony celebrated India's sporting achievements across numerous disciplines, recognising outstanding performances throughout 2025.

India's sporting elite converges in Lucknow for the Times of India Sports Awards, honouring a decade of excellence and the past year's achievements. The prestigious event, attended by legends and led by a distinguished jury, celebrates athletes across over 45 categories, including a significant focus on para-sports, recognizing outstanding performances and emerging talents who have made the nation proud.

The Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) 2025 will be held on March 21, 2026, in Lucknow, honouring India’s top sporting performances from 2025 across 45+ categories, with winners chosen by legends like Abhinav Bindra and Mithali Raj. Tennis nominees include Rohan Bopanna, Yuki Bhambri, Sumit Nagal, ankita raina, Vaishnavi Adkar, and Sahaja Yamalapalli, recognised for standout achievements during the season.

The flag bearer of Indian tennis contingent Sania Mirza and ankita raina are now headed to Tokyo for the upcoming Olympics.

Sania Mirza and ankita raina are all set to represent India in Women's Doubles Tennis at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics after entries were officially announced on Thursday.

The Indian Fed cup team created history by earning a promotion to the play-offs for the first time ever with ankita raina leading the side to 2-1 win over Indonesia. Raina pulled off a crucial singles win against talented Aldila Sutjiadi to lock the tie 1-1 after Rutuja Bhosale suffered a crushing defeat against Priska Madelyn Nugroho.

The biggest gain for India from this Fed Cup tie no doubt was the performance of their No. 1 player ankita raina.

ankita raina, Ahmedabad-based tennis player, is slowing but steadily climbing up the ladder as far as international ranking in concern.

It's not often that a tennis player from Gujarat hits the headlines, but ankita raina is all set to change that.

"I think Karman Kaur Thandi is very promising and ankita raina is right now the no. 1 women's singles player in India. Prarthna Thombare is the best doubles player we have, while Sumit Nagal has a lot of potential amongst the boys," Sania said.

Prarthana Thombare yet again scored an impressive win but ankita raina had to work hard as India defeated Malaysia 2-0 in the Asia/Oceania Group II.

It has been a really good time for Gujarat tennis and especially for the girls playing the sport. ankita raina, Zeel Desai, Eetee Mehta, Jeni Patel, Urmi Pandya and many more have been winning medals at various national competitions for quite some time.

India's top tennis players, including Yuki Bhambri, Saketh Myneni and ankita raina, will be seen in action at the PSPB inter-unit tournament, beginning from Monday.

The 1-2 defeat was India's first against Hong Kong in five meetings and it has ended country's hopes to get promoted to Group I for next year's competition.

Indian tennis stalwart Leander Paes said on Friday that 80 to 90 per cent of the country's talent remained untapped as the sport remained confined to big cities and metros and added that he had great respect for players like ankita raina and Sumit Nagal, who were keeping their dreams alive of playing in big-ticket events despite the huge monetary constraints.

Nidhi Chilumula and Anushka Bhargava scored easy wins to move to the final round of qualifiers for the WTA Indian Open, on Saturday.