If tennis is first love, what is second for Indian women’s players? Tourism management, IT certifications &; travelling coach gigs | Tennis News

Courtside at India’s Billie Jean King Cup in Pune last week was Radhika Kanitkar Tulpule, a former Fed Cup regular and now appointed coach to the young Billie Jean King Cup squad.
Radhika’s powerful baseline game was quite the rage in the city and country right before the emergence of Sania Mirza. Now 42, and married to fellow athlete, golfer Aditya Kanitkar (brother of the cricket Kanitkar – Hrishikesh), Radhika however didn’t immediately jump into tennis coaching. She has a serendipitous tale to tell.
“Coaching wasn’t an immediate decision after I finished my playing career that ended due to unexpected injuries. I thought sincevi had travelled so much for tennis, that I would do something in the tourism industry. I actually cleared the national entrance exam in first attempt, which I was later told is very tough to pass. I thought I’ll take up a job in the travel industry. But when I asked around, I was told I was in a small (relatively) city and not a big metro, where the big opportunities in this field were. So I sadly gave up and then started getting travelling coaching assignments,” she says.
Story continues below this ad

She would also travel with Asian junior teams and guide early careers, before finally being appointed BJKC coach for the group qualifiers.
Maharashtra state teams often procure coaching services of Radhika and Rushmi Chakravarthy if the Nationals are held in Chennai.
A former Fed Cup regular, Radhika Kanitkar Tulpule (R) was appointed to coach the young Billie Jean King Cup squad. (MSLTA)
Also present courtside on Day 1 was Pranjala Yadlapalli, still attempting a comeback from a rank of near 1400s after a lousy wretched luck with injuries. Pranjala grew up in a household where her mother insed on academics, but flipped as Doon as a tennis coach told her the daughter was talented. “During injuries, and rehab I didn’t know what to do. So I completed a bunch of IT certification courses online,” says the Hyderabadi.
The likes of Sahaja Yamalapalli, India’s top ranked women’s singles player too knows she will figure things out away from court, though the entire focus is on tennis at the moment. “My dad was a teacher of computer science in a Hyderabad engineering college. But he had completely opposite dreams for me in sport. However, I’m book-smart and got his brains,” she says, adding that she uses injury breaks to upskill in courses, on tech and finance. Shrivalli Bhamidipaty, the star of the week with 5/5 wins at Pune and 38 aces, too is pursuing chartered accountancy in London.Story continues below this ad
Tennis might be their first love, but the Indian women have kept their academically inclined brains sharp too.