Masaba Gupta Could Hit Harder Than Others, But One Thing Held Her Back: “I Couldn’t Control My Mind”

4 min readNew DelhiJul 25, 2026 03:00 PM From missed shots to making bold moves in the world of business with her design and beauty labels, Masaba Gupta has carved a name for herself through sheer grit and determination. However, the road to success was not easy. During a recent conversation with One8 World, she opened up about almost going professional in tennis: “I tried to be a professional tennis player long back. I played pro tennis when I was very young, and I failed at it miserably. It’s because I couldn’t control my mind. I had a lot of physical strength, I was just genetically stronger than the other kids. I could hit the ball harder, reach for it quicker. But I could not control what was going on in my mind. It was that aggression that I couldn’t really harness to make something positive out of it.”
“Today, when I’m running my own businesses, that’s what I do. I use that aggression to my advantage, and try and see how I can harness it positively,” she further added.

Dr Divya Shree K R, consultant psychiatr, Aster CMI Hospital, Bengaluru, says that whether it’s a job application, a creative pursuit, or even a romantic approach, failing can be discouraging.  Therefore, she believes understanding the complexity of a ‘victory’ in today’s world and the interplay of affluence, influence, and luck is important in evaluating each failure as it comes and helps us assign blame and assume responsibility for the right reason.
Moving on
However, failure is still a normal part of life, and it doesn’t define your worth. Dr Divya shares some tips to help you bounce back and turn setbacks into stepping stones:
Acknowledge your feelings: It’s okay to feel hurt, angry, or disappointed. Bottling up emotions can hinder healing. Allow yourself to process your feelings in a healthy way, like journaling, talking to a trusted friend, or engaging in a creative outlet.
Reframe the narrative: Don’t view it as a personal failure. Instead, see it as an opportunity to learn and grow. Maybe your skills need some honing, or perhaps the timing wasn’t right.
Analyse the situation: If the opportunity allows, try to understand the reasons for failure. Did they provide any feedback? This can be valuable information to help you improve for next time. However, avoid excessive self-criticism.
Focus on the positive: Failure doesn’t erase your strengths and accomplishments. Take a moment to appreciate your past successes, and remind yourself of your skills and value.Story continues below this ad
Learn and adapt: Use the experience as a learning opportunity. Did you discover a new skill gap you need to address? Perhaps your approach needs some tweaking. Growth comes from adapting to challenges.

Build Resilience: Failure can be tough, but it also helps build resilience. Each time you overcome a setback, you become better equipped to handle future challenges.
Celebrate small wins: Don’t get discouraged aiming for giant leaps. Celebrate small victories along the way. This keeps you motivated and reminds you of your progress.
Keep moving forward: Don’t dwell on the rejection. Use it as motivation to keep striving towards your goals. There are many paths to success, so explore new opportunities and keep putting yourself out there.Story continues below this ad
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.