Nirupama Sanjeev: I just don’t have the perspective of a player… I have the perspective of a coach and a parent

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 coaching children, aspiring professionals and her daughter, have given her the added perspective of a player, parent and coach.

It was all clear 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 (Australian Open 1998) spoke to The Hindu about a variety of issues, including what current Indian players are missing, the way forward and her views on on-court coaching, which was officially introduced in January this year.

“A good coach on the sidelines can make a big difference,” said the former India No. 1 and 1998 Asian Games bronze medalist in mixed doubles with Mahesh Bhupathi.

When and how did your comment period begin?

It first started when the men’s Gold Flake Open was held in Chennai in 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 because I was busy traveling with my daughter since she started competing in ITF tournaments. Now she is pursuing academics at Johns Hopkins University, Maryland, USA. And I have time.

You took your first break sometime in the early 2000s, right?

After my daughter was born in 2002, I no longer had the bandwidth to travel. Especially since my husband also travels quite a bit due to his IT job. Before that, I ran Niru’s Tennis Academy in San Jose (California) together with my brother. We closed it last year. My brother and I ran it for 19 years, from 2004 to 2023. Now we host tournaments in Florida.

What type of tournaments do you organize?

We organize United States Tennis Association and UTR tournaments for ambitious professionals. I also teach on the side and those who really want can get training, especially juniors.

How much are you enjoying your second innings as a coach and commentator?

Yes, I love it. Because after my period in coaching the 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 many perspectives, which I believe are much more important now.

Where did you learn the finer aspects of commentary?

The first time I did it in Chennai, I actually did it with Vijay Amritraj in 2000. I was still on tour at that time. Then I did the commentary. Vijay gave a few tips that made me feel very relaxed. And when I did Star Sports in 2001, I was still playing. I was at Wimbledon (playing in the qualifying rounds). And that’s where I met Alan Wilkins. He really helped me a lot. I got to commentate with former Australian coach Darren Cahill at the US Open when he was commentating for Star Sports. He is also a person from whom I have learned a lot. At Wimbledon I learned a few things from former player Brad Gilbert. When you hear all these people talk, you 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. That’s also because the weather was also very favorable. It was great that 17-year-old Linda Fruhvirtova won the title. I think the weather is an important factor at the moment when organizing tournaments. I think it was useful in September [2022]. It was special for me because my daughter was with me at the time when we went from here to an ITF tournament in Kuwait [Chennai].

How has the experience been for you this time?

It was great. And it’s very special to have Alan Wilkins here, because I haven’t seen him in almost twenty years. He is partly my mentor in the commentary box, along with Vijay Amritraj.

Are there any good matches you enjoyed watching this time?

I really enjoyed watching Indonesian Janice Tjen because she is so unconventional and brings something you don’t normally see. To see her (backhand) cutting and coming in and hitting volleys, it’s fun to see that. I also enjoyed watching the Thai girl (Lanlana) Tararudee. She had a lot of personality. Especially the way she hit the ball with her forehand was just amazing. And then there was the Croatian Donna Vekic. I was happy to see our Indian players, Shrivalli Bhamidipatty and Sahaja Yamalapalli, playing and performing well.

How did Indians, Shrivalli, Sahaja and Maaya Rajeshwaran play in the tournament?

Shrivalli played very well against Kimberly Birrell in the second round, losing 7-5, 7-6 (2). It was a difficult match. It could have gone either way. Our players lack the experience to win at this level. Sahaja also played very well. Maaya was too nervous. I don’t think that’s her game. She put too much pressure on herself for no reason, but hey, you don’t know how a 16 year old thinks. That’s 100% not her game.

I think we need to cut her some slack and let her breathe a little, and she needs to learn from this. I think a little variety in shot making will also help our players. Matching the top players shot for shot may not be the right course of action for us if our fitness isn’t on par with theirs.

Since you started playing in the 1990s, so many things have changed in Indian tennis. How much has been for good and how much for bad?

I still think the tournament selection should be better for the girls. I think they need to do a better job choosing tournaments. Sometimes you have to play lower level tournaments, gain rankings, gain confidence and then get seeded. Then go for tournaments at a higher level. Playing in the US is good to raise your level because you’re playing 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 think. I would love to see them play together and travel together. The power is extreme. Girls hit the ball much harder. The physicality has changed. Recovery has changed. This also applies to the lifespan. The ice bath and stuff was unheard of when I was playing. For us it was ‘just go and stretch.’

India hosted quite a few WTT tournaments this year. There were a lower-level Men’s and Women’s Challenger tournament organized this year, including seven ITF Women’s World Tour tournaments and a WTA 125 and WTA 250. But do you think more of 125 and 250 will help the Indians compete better and improve their game?

Many of them are not in that bad of shape. They can 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 track record, she’s come through the qualifiers, gone through a tough road and done well in tournaments.

That’s an indication that she’s on the right track. Indian players need to plan things accordingly and get the right coach traveling with them. Indian players are playing very well. I think Maya, Shrivalli and Sahaja should come together, have a coach and travel together.

Tennis is an individual sport. Is it possible?

That’s the point. Then you decide what is important. All I’m trying to say is what Thailand did, this is what Indonesia did. It used to make a big difference when they played together. Safety has been taken care of and a coach they can share. There is so much that can be done, but time and time again we go back to the old way: one player traveling here, one player there. What’s the point. There must be a joint effort. Otherwise it won’t work. Having 250 and 150 tournaments may or may not happen. First we have to improve our game and then we can achieve that. I think there will be more tournaments when you see someone [Indian players] make such steps. People will come up with these tournaments, it will definitely happen. But first, let’s take a look at how the girls ended up in the top 200 in the world. Then it happens automatically. I guarantee you.

Are you still considering coaching youngsters and seniors?

The point is that there must be mutual respect in coaching. I’m past the stage where I want to babysit people. To me, it’s like if someone really wants to do it, they really want to do it. I’m open to everything. It just has to be on my terms and we have to be on the same page.

What is your view on coaching on the field?

What I discovered after watching a lot of matches here was that nowadays the whole coaching scenario has completely changed because you actually get to coach. From the time I played until now, it’s completely different. And the importance of a good coach who is calm and collected and who can give the player the right advice has become much more important. It has become quite necessary. So someone like Joanna Garland from Taipei, who lost in the third set 5-0 to Kimberly Birrell in the semifinals, I think something like that could have been avoided if there was a good coach in her camp who can tell her to be calm and tell her to do the right things. Nowadays I feel like if someone doesn’t have a good coach, he or she can attribute some of their losses to the coach!

I think a good coach standing on the sidelines can really only say one or two things, like watch the ball or stay calm, or be composed and not worry about the 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 at home and gardening and taking care of my dogs. I’m just as happy with coaching at the grassroots level. I have some young kids in Florida to coach. I’m glad I do that too. I acclimatize myself with the latest coaching techniques. I don’t want to travel 30 weeks a year.

On Rohan Bopanna’s retirement…

I had a fantastic time playing mixed doubles with Rohan at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. He was a great support to me when I returned to the Indian team. We had a very tough match against Anastasia Rodionova and Paul Hanley from Australia in the first round. We still pushed them into the third set before losing the decider 6-3. I still remember that match. Rohan is a fantastic person, always straightforward. There’s 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 I am lucky to have known him. Wish him the best in his retirement.