Just like her playing days, 48-year-old Nirupama Sanjeev gives her all in the commentary box. Her years of playing on the WTA Tour including Grand Slams and later stints at coaching children, aspiring professionals, and her daughter have given her the added perspective of a player, parent and coach.
It was all evident at the WTA 250 Chennai Open 2025 at the SDAT-Nungambakkam Stadium. The first Indian woman player to win a round at a Grand Slam (1998 Australian Open) spoke to The Hindu on a variety of issues including what the current Indian players lack, the way forward and her views on on-court coaching, which was officially introduced in January this year.
“A good coach sitting on the sidelines can make a lot of difference,” said the former India No.1 and the 1998 Asian Games bronze medallist in mixed doubles with Mahesh Bhupathi.
When and how did your commentating stint begin?
It started first when the men’s Gold Flake Open was held in Chennai in the year 2000. And then, I did commentary for Star Sports and ESPN with Indian tennis legend Vijay Amritraj and Alan Wilkins for Wimbledon and US Open. I did it for a few years and then took a break as I was busy travelling with my daughter since she was competing in ITF tournaments. Now, she is pursuing academics at Johns Hopkins University, Maryland, USA. And I have time.
Former Indian tennis player and commentator Nirupama Sanjeev in conversation with Tamil Nadu Tennis Association (TNTA) president Vijay Amritraj
| Photo Credit:
B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM
You took your first break sometime in early 2000, right?
After my daughter was born in 2002, I did not have the bandwidth to travel. Especially because my husband also travels quite a bit being in an IT job. Before that, I was running the Niru’s Tennis Academy in San Jose (California) with my brother. Last year, we closed it down. My brother and me ran it for 19 years from 2004 till 2023. Now, we host tournaments in Florida.
What kind of tournaments do you host?
We host United States Tennis Association and UTR tournaments for aspiring professionals. I also teach on the side and whoever really wants can get training, mostly juniors.
How much are you enjoying your second innings as a coach and commentator?
Yes, I love it. Because after my stint in coaching, perspective has changed. I just don’t have the perspective of a tennis player. I have the perspective of a coach and a parent. I have a lots of perspectives, which I feel are way more important now.
Where did you learn the finer aspects of commentary?
Actually, the first time I did it in Chennai, I did it with Vijay Amritraj in 2000. I was still on the tour at that time. That’s when I did the commentary. Vijay gave a few tips to make me feel very relaxed. And then when I did for Star Sports in 2001, I was still playing. I was in Wimbledon (played in the qualifying rounds). And that’s where I met Alan Wilkins. He really helped me a lot. I got to do commentary with former Australian coach Darren Cahill during the US Open when he was commentating for Star Sports. He’s another person whom I learnt a lot. At Wimbledon, I learnt a bit from former player Brad Gilbert. All these people, when you hear them talk, you just learn a lot.
You were here in 2022 for the WTA 250 Chennai Open as a commentator. How was your experience?
Yes, I was here. The field was much better then. It’s also because the weather was also very conducive. Having a 17-year-old Linda Fruhvirtova win the title was great. The weather, I think, is a main factor at this time when you host tournaments. I think it was helpful in September [2022]. It was special for me because my daughter was there with me at the time as we were going to an ITF tournament in Kuwait from here [Chennai].
How has the experience for you been this time around?
It’s been amazing. And having Alan Wilkins here is very special because I haven’t seen him in nearly 20 years. He is partly my mentor in the commentator’s box along with Vijay Amritraj.
Any good matches you loved watching this time?
I really enjoyed watching Indonesia’s Janice Tjen because she is so unconventional and she brings something that you don’t usually see. To see her (backhand) slice and come in and hit volleys, it’s fun to see that. I did enjoy watching the Thai girl (Lanlana) Tararudee as well. She had a lot of personality. Especially, the way she hit the ball on her forehand was just great. And then, there was Croatia’s Donna Vekic. Our Indian players, Shrivalli Bhamidipatty and Sahaja Yamalapalli, I felt happy seeing them play and perform pretty well.
India’s Shrivalli in action against Australia’s Birrell at the WTA Chennai Open.
| Photo Credit:
B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM
How did the Indians, Shrivalli, Sahaja, Maaya Rajeshwaran play in the tournament?
Shrivalli played really well against Kimberly Birrell in the second round, losing 7-5, 7-6 (2). It was a tough match. It could have gone either way. Our players lack the experience to win at the level. Sahaja, too, played really well. Maaya was too nervous. I don’t think that’s her game at all. She put too much pressure on herself for no reason but then, you know, you don’t know how a 16-year-old thinks. 100% that’s not her game.
I think we have to cut her some slack and let her breathe a little bit and she needs to learn from these. I do feel a little bit of variety in shot-making will also help our players. To match the top players shot for shot may not be the right course of action for us if our fitness is not on par with them.
Since you started playing in the 1990s, so many things have changed in Indian tennis. How much has been for the better and how much for the worse?
I still think tournament selection should be better for the girls. I think they have to do a better job of picking tournaments. Sometimes, you need to play lower-tier tournaments, get rankings, gain confidence and then get seeded. Then go for higher-tier tournaments. Playing in USA is good to get your level up because you will play against players who are really good and your level will improve but that’s not necessarily the best course of action in terms of your rankings, I feel. I would really like to see them play together and travel together. The power is extreme. Girls are hitting the ball much harder. The physicality has changed. The recovery has changed. So has the longevity. The ice bath and all was unheard of when I was playing. For us, it was ‘you just go and stretch.’
India hosted quite a few WTT tournaments this year. It did host a men’s Challenger and lower-level women tournaments this year including seven ITF Women’s World Tour tournaments and a WTA 125 and WTA 250. But do you think more of 125 & 250 will help Indians compete better and improve their game?
Many of them are not that badly off. They are able to go play outside India but you have to qualify. Fourth seed Janice Tjen, who won the Chennai Open, is a good example. If you look at her record, she has come through the qualifiers, come through the hard way and goes on to do well in tournaments.
That is an indicator that she is on the right track. Indian players need to plan things accordingly and have the right coach travelling with them. Indian players are playing really well. I think Maya, Shrivalli, Sahaja should join together, have a coach and travel together.
Tennis is an individual sport. Is it possible?
That’s the thing. Then you decide what is important. All I am trying to say is what Thailand did, this is what Indonesia did. It used to make a huge difference for them to play with each other. The safety is taken care of and a coach they can share. There is so much that can be done but time and time again we are going back to the old thing of one player travelling here, one player there. What is the point. There has to be a joint effort. Otherwise, it is not going to work. Having 250 & 150 tournaments might or might not happen. First, our game has to improve and then we can get to that. I think there will be more tournaments once you see somebody [Indian players] make such strides. People will come up with these tournaments, it will definitely happen. But first let’s see the girls getting into the world’s top 200. Then it will automatically happen. I guarantee you.
Do you still consider coaching young and senior players?
See the thing is there has to be mutual respect in coaching. I am beyond that stage where I want to babysit people. For me, it’s like if somebody really wants to do it, they have to want it a lot. I am open to anything. It’s just that it has to be on my terms and we have to be aligned.
What is your view on on-court coaching?
What I found after watching many matches here was, nowadays the whole coaching scenario has completely changed because you are actually allowed to coach. From when I was playing to now, it’s completely different. And the importance of a good coach who is calm and composed and who can give the right kind of advice to the player has become way more important. It has become quite imperative. So somebody like Joanna Garland of Taipei who lost from 5-0 in the third set against Kimberly Birrell in the semifinals, I think something like that could have been averted if there was a good coach in her camp who can tell her to be calm and tell her to do the right things. I feel nowadays if somebody doesn’t have a good coach, I think they can attribute some of their losses to the coach!
I think a good coach sitting on the sidelines can actually say just one or two things like watch the ball or stay calm or be composed and don’t worry about results. Those things can actually make a difference.
How do you see your future as a commentator and coach?
I enjoy both, but I also enjoy being home and doing gardening and taking care of my dogs. I am equally happy coaching grass-roots level. I have a couple of young kids in Florida to coach. I am happy doing that too. I am acclimatizing myself with the latest coaching techniques. I don’t want to travel for 30 weeks a year.
On Rohan Bopanna’s retirement…
I had a fantastic time in mixed doubles with Rohan in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. He was very supportive as I was making a comeback to the Indian team. We had a very tough match against Anastasia Rodionova and Paul Hanley of Australia in the first round. We still pushed them to the third set before losing the decider 6-3. I still remember that match. Rohan is a fantastic person, always straight to the point. Nothing artificial about him. A few years later, when my daughter was playing in an ITF tournament in Indian Wells, he came to watch her. He is very down-to-earth and am so lucky to have known him. Wish him the best in his retirement.
