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Courting hits & misses: Interview with tennis star Tamara Zidansek and Indian captain Vishal Uppal

Mahima Nagaraju or the first time last week, India played host to the Billie Jean King Cups playoffs, at the SM Krishna Stadium. Amidst the intense competition between The Netherlands, India and Slovenia, world number 163 Tamara Zidansek defeated Indias Shrivalli Bhamidipaty with a 2-1 score, advancing to the qualifiers. We caught up with her for a brief talk on everything from the secret to her composure to Bengaluru travel plans, while veteran tennis player and Indian team captain Vishal Uppal weighed in on where the home team went wrong, the secret to nurturing champions and more. Excerpts: Vishal Uppal: Compared to when you were playing in the 2000s, how has Indian tennis changed? Theres lot more awareness now. You can see how the girls worked hard with little support and reached a world playoff stage, which tells you the game is growing in the country. Ive often said tennis is one of the popular sports but the worst marketed. We need to make sure that we get current and future generations the opportunities which we never got. Among all the players youve coached, mentored and played with, are there any that really left an impression on you? If I were to single out one person, that would be unfair to everyone that Ive coached. Ive been fortunate enough to have a very beautiful relationship with all my trainees, whether theyve gone on to play serious tennis or not. While Im considered a teacher or a coach, Im actually a student because kids can teach you so much if youre willing to learn. What have your students taught you? Every kid brings a unique quality and you have to be open to understand that in order to help them. Its a thought provoking process, not a one-size fits all situation. You have to tackle peoples personalities. India lost to Slovenia in the play offs by a small margin. What do you think of the teams performance what did they do well and where did they slip up? My team gets an A+ for effort. All the girls really fought hard. The Slovenians were better in their athleticism and maturity. You could see why they are top 100 players, because when the match was getting tight, they just became more solid. Thats something we have to learn because at top level tennis, if you give too many free points, it hurts you. Do you have a core or overarching philosophy as a mentor? How do you keep the team motivated after losses? While everyone made a big thing about us creating history, were fighting for something bigger equality and opportunities for women in sports. I dont think I need to motivate my girls for that, theyre motivated themselves because they are the true ambassadors of womens tennis in India and they understand their struggles. Whats next for the team? We will reassess what we did well, what we struggled with and then the work will begin again. Tamara Zidansek: What were some of the emotions running through your mind during the match in Bengaluru? It was tough, I feel like we had one of the toughest set-ups because we played The Netherlands who are the favourites. It was a long day and then, we came out against the home team which is always difficult. We had no days off, so it was hard to stay focused, but Im really happy that I managed to do it. Youve got a reputation of having great composure. How do you cultivate mental strength, especially with the pressure that comes with playing at the international level? Ive had ups and downs in my career where I wasnt able to do that. But Ive been able to by just focusing on myself, knowing that losing a tennis match doesnt mean everything at the end of the day, trying to separate tennis and my personal life and staying true to myself. What does playing in the Billie Jean King Cup mean to you personally, given the history, the legacy of the tournament? Weve had so much fun in our competitions, and weve done amazing things for our country. Its always fun to have those two or three weeks during the year where a team comes together because its a little different from what a player experiences on tour when travelling by themselves its a little more fun, relaxed, theres company, so its always nice. During your stay in Bengaluru, have you been able to try out any local delicacies here? No, were trying to stay really careful with that. But we do have a day off so were going to try and see some things and look around Bengaluru. Whats one unconventional training habit you swear by, but most people wouldnt have guessed about you? I used to hate running, but now I love it. I like to run and do intervals; I dont think people like that, but I enjoy it! Whats the next big goal that motivates you? Trying to develop as a person through tennis, through the challenges that tennis brings. Its just managing your emotions day in, day out and the expectations that come with tennis.