Riya Bhatia is a power player who has learnt to be consistent. She is enjoying her tennis around the world, and the results are showing.
Riya last played at the $60,000 ITF women’s event in Amstetten, Austria where she qualified and reached the quarterfinals of singles. In partnership with Michaela Bayerlova of Czechia, the 27-year-old also made it to the doubles semifinals.
At 494 in the world in singles, Riya is trying to get back to her best rank of 338 that she had reached in 2023. In doubles, she has the career best rank of 210 at the moment, which places her third behind Prarthana Thombare (134) and Ankita Raina (183) in the country.
Finding a training slot for a fortnight with coach Aditya Sachdeva at the Roundglass Academy in Chandigarh, Riya could muster energy to reflect on her career.
“The best part of this journey is watching my game get stronger. The consistent progress in my fitness and skill levels is a huge motivation. It reminds me of my capability and it is quite exciting to visualise how much more I can accomplish,” said Riya, particularly pleased with her mental toughness in seeing through many difficult matches.
“It takes a special kind of focus to play every single point on its merit. You acknowledge the nerves, but have to still be able to perform at your best. That is something I am consistently working on,” said Riya.
She is happy to be climbing fast on the WTA ranking ladder in doubles.
“The career-best rank in doubles is a big milestone for me. It has taught me a lot about my game. Playing doubles has unlocked strengths that I didn’t even know that I had. I am playing the best tennis of my career, in both singles and doubles. The rankings may not reflect, but I am competing strong at higher level tournaments now,” observed Riya.
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Gratitude is the overwhelming emotion in her system at the moment.
“Adi sir has been a big influence on my career. He understands my game better than any other coach. I am also incredibly fortunate to be training at the Roundglass Academy. I am surrounded by great physios, trainers and coaches. I have a strong group of players to practice with and compete against every day. The environment is helping me get better,” she said.
As the fifth best ranked player in singles behind Shrivalli Bhamidipty, Sahaja Yamalapalli, Ankita Raina and Vaidehee Chaudhari, Riya does know that she has a bright chance of making the national team, if she keeps playing strong in the big events.
“Representing India is the highest honour, and I would absolutely love to be a part of the national team. My job is to stay strong, keep working hard and perform at the highest level I can,” she said.
The parents have been phenomenal in supporting Riya and she is grateful to her employer Indian Oil.
“My family and Indian Oil are my backbone, providing incredible support that has been so essential in my journey. However, to take my career to the next level and compete globally, I am actively seeking sponsors to cover the costs of travel and tournaments,” she said.
Riya is ready get back to Europe for more tournaments, and it would be exciting to keep track of her path ahead.
Published on Aug 29, 2025
Content Source: sportstar.thehindu.com