Ankita Raina: Inspired by Cricket World Cup, India's Tennis Team Eyes BJK Cup History
India's top-ranked women's tennis player, Ankita Raina, stated on Sunday that the national team is drawing significant inspiration from the Harmanpreet Kaur-led cricket team's recent ODI World Cup victory. As Raina and her teammates gear up for the crucial Billie Jean King Cup tie scheduled from April 7 to 11 in New Delhi, that historic cricketing triumph has been established as a benchmark for India's women athletes to emulate.
World Cup Achievement Fuels Self-Belief
"I would say it was such an important event and achievement, and it was such a historic thing," Raina told The Times of India in an exclusive interview. "It completely changed the atmosphere in the country. A player knows what it takes to get there or to achieve that. I literally felt that all the Indians have won the World Cup with that achievement. That triumph just gave us a lot of self-belief. That's what it did, and we want to do that even in tennis...at the BJK Cup."
India will be aiming to qualify for the Billie Jean King Cup's World Group playoffs this week—a feat the nation has accomplished only twice before in the tournament's storied history. Formerly known as the Federation Cup from 1963 to 1995 and the Fed Cup from 1995 to 2020, the competition was rebranded as the Billie Jean King Cup in 2020 to honor the tennis legend.
Pushing for a Historic Third Qualification
Raina emphasized that the current squad is highly motivated to secure a historic third qualification. "It was a huge milestone for the Indian women's tennis when we qualified for the World Group play-offs for the first time in 2020 after finishing second behind China in the Asia/Oceania Group I in Dubai," she recalled. "It happened again for the second time last year in Pune, when we qualified for the playoffs which were later played in Bengaluru. Such achievements bring sport to a different level and increase awareness. So, we made history before, and we are looking to create another this week in Delhi."
The 33-year-old athlete from Ahmedabad added, "When tennis goes even further and, when in the future there will be more players at the international level, I would say that winning in the BJK Cup and qualifying for play-offs will be our contribution to that."
Sania Mirza's Legacy and Inspirational Role
Ankita Raina also credited Indian tennis icon Sania Mirza for inspiring numerous girls, including herself, to pursue sports professionally. She expressed that it is a tremendous honor to step into Mirza's shoes following her retirement and continue the legacy.
"Being in the same team as Sania, with her being the senior player, was a huge honour for me," Raina shared. "Getting the experience from her or just being in the team with her around, watching her play, helped me somewhere build as a player because she's been world No. 1 in doubles and she's had so many Grand Slams. So having someone you idolize or seeing growing up helps. Now when more players are coming to the team and joining it, I think I am sort of playing the similar role, having played so many times for India."
Ankita Raina has represented India for nearly 15 years and remains a pivotal figure in the national tennis team, showcasing her dedication and leadership as they prepare for this critical international competition.



