Shrivalli Bhamidipaty sheds light on her debut win for India at Billie Jean King Cup 2025

Shrivalli Bhamidipaty registered India’s only win in the Billie Jean King Cup 2025 tie.

Shrivalli Bhamidipaty, currently 345 in the WTA singles ranking, made sure India got off to the perfect start in their opening match at the Billie Jean King Cup 2025 Asia-Oceania Group 1. The 23-year-old from Hyderabad got the better of New Zealand’s Aishi Das, securing a 6-1, 6-1 victory on the opening day of the tournament, which is organized by MSLTA in association with AITA and PMDTA, at the Mhalunge Balewadi Tennis Complex in Pune.

Reflecting on her performance in her debut match for India, an emotional Shrivalli shared, “It was emotional playing my debut match for the country. I was a little emotional on court but then I think I handled myself well. The team and the captain helped me a lot in that by cheering, and the crowd also backed us for every point. I think that’s what helped me pull through the match today.”

“I was just trying to focus on every point that I play and just try to give my best in every point, while just thinking of the country”, she added.

Shrivalli also sheds some light on the emotions running towards the end of her match. She said, “The feeling when I hugged my teammates after the win was surreal. All of us being individual players, we’ve come to play as a team and the amount that we’ve bonded in the past week, has been good and exciting for all of us, and I’ve loved the atmosphere here”, she said.

Elaborating on her experience while representing her country, she also opened up about playing alongside her teammates in this tournament. “We’ve been doing a lot of crazy stuff off-court, playing a lot of games and trying to understand each other. I think we’ve got a good blend of how everyone functions on the team, and we’ve been trying to be chirpy, and I think that’s what helped us”, she mentioned.

With experienced players like Prarthana Thombare and Ankita Raina, and youngsters like Maaya Rajeshwaran, the Indian team has a healthy mix of youth and experience in their squad at the Billie Jean King Cup this year.

Speaking on the mix of players in the squad, Shrivalli said, “The senior players have been helpful to us. They tell us how they have been playing for the country in the last few years. They’ve been telling us what we have to do. They’ve also been trying to keep us calm before the matches and that’s been helpful. Also, Maya being on the team adds an extra boost to us.”

Shrivalli also reckoned that the conditions could play in Team India’s favour. “The courts have been in our favour because they’ve been slightly faster and bouncier. I think all of us love playing on courts like these. Also, with the conditions being hot, think it helps us”, she concluded.

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