concentration mixed with uncertainty, effort, and a flicker of vulnerability.
Ankita Raina – Overview
Ankita Raina (born 11 January 1993 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat) is an Indian professional tennis player and one of the most accomplished Indian women of the post-Sania Mirza era. A right-handed player with a two-handed backhand, she reached a career-high WTA singles ranking of world No. 160 on 2 March 2020 and a career-high doubles ranking of No. 93 on 17 May 2021. Her major achievements include a bronze medal in women's singles at the 2018 Asian Games, representing India at the Tokyo Olympic Games, winning a WTA Tour doubles title and a WTA 125 doubles title, reaching all four Grand Slam doubles main draws in 2021 and becoming a longstanding member of India's Billie Jean King Cup team.
Early Life
Raina was born in Ahmedabad and comes from a Kashmiri Pandit family. She began playing tennis at approximately five years old after being introduced to the sport by her family.
Her early development took place in Gujarat before she moved to Pune to pursue tennis more seriously. She trained at the PYC Hindu Gymkhana under coach Hemant Bendrey, who became an important figure in her development.
Education and Languages
Raina studied for a period at Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce in Pune while developing her professional tennis career. She speaks Gujarati, Hindi and English.
Among the players she admired growing up were Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and Sania Mirza. Mirza was particularly significant as the leading example for Indian women attempting to establish themselves internationally.
Professional Beginnings
Raina began her professional career in 2009 and developed almost entirely through the ITF Women's Circuit. Her progress was gradual, requiring years of lower-level tournaments before she became competitive near WTA level.
She won her first ITF singles title in New Delhi in 2012. Further championships followed as she established herself among India's leading women's players.
Rise Through the ITF Circuit
The ITF circuit formed the foundation of Raina's singles career. She accumulated titles in India and throughout Asia while gradually improving her ranking.
By 2016 she had moved inside the world's Top 300. She finished that season ranked No. 292 before improving to No. 283 at the end of 2017.
Billie Jean King Cup
Raina made her debut for India in the Fed Cup, now the Billie Jean King Cup, in 2013. She subsequently became one of the country's most important and dependable team players.
She has represented India repeatedly in both singles and doubles and has played an important role in maintaining the country's position within the Asia/Oceania competition structure.
Her performances in national-team competition have frequently exceeded what might be expected from her WTA ranking, reflecting her ability to respond positively to the pressure of representing India.
2016 South Asian Games
Raina enjoyed major success at the 2016 South Asian Games in Guwahati and Shillong. She won the women's singles gold medal and was also part of India's success in the mixed team competition.
Although the South Asian Games do not carry WTA ranking points, the tournament represented an important international achievement and strengthened Raina's position within Indian tennis.
Mumbai Open 2017
One of Raina's first significant results above ITF level came at the 2017 Mumbai Open, a WTA 125 tournament. She reached the quarterfinals, producing one of the strongest performances of her career at that level.
The tournament helped accelerate her ranking progress and demonstrated that she could compete successfully against players accustomed to WTA-level opposition.
Top-200 Breakthrough – 2018
Raina enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2018. After winning a $25,000 ITF title, she entered the world's Top 200 for the first time in April.
She became only the fifth Indian woman to reach the WTA Top 200 after Nirupama Sanjeev, Sania Mirza, Shikha Uberoi and Sunitha Rao.
She finished the season ranked world No. 192, her first year-end position inside the Top 200.
2018 Asian Games
The defining singles achievement of Raina's career came at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang. Representing India in women's singles, she advanced to the semifinals and secured a bronze medal.
Her run made her only the second Indian woman after Sania Mirza to win an Asian Games medal in women's singles tennis.
The bronze medal remains one of Raina's most important achievements because it came in a major multisport competition against many of Asia's strongest players.
Taipei WTA 125 Doubles Title – 2018
Raina also enjoyed a major doubles breakthrough in 2018. Partnering fellow Indian Karman Kaur Thandi, she won the doubles championship at the Taipei WTA 125 tournament.
They defeated Olga Doroshina and Natela Dzalamidze in the final. It was Raina's first title above ITF level and demonstrated that doubles could become an important second component of her professional career.
2019 ITF Success
Raina began 2019 strongly by winning a $25,000 ITF singles tournament in Singapore. She defeated Dutch player Arantxa Rus in the final.
The title helped maintain her position inside the Top 200 and preceded one of the most notable individual victories of her career.
Victory over Samantha Stosur
At the 2019 Kunming Open in Anning, Raina recorded her first victory over a Top-100 opponent when she defeated former US Open champion Samantha Stosur.
Stosur had previously been ranked inside the world's Top 10 and remained an internationally established player. The victory was therefore one of Raina's most prestigious singles wins.
Grand Slam Qualifying
Raina became a regular participant in Grand Slam singles qualifying during her strongest ranking years. She never reached a Grand Slam singles main draw but came close on several occasions.
Her best Australian Open result was reaching the final qualifying round in 2021. She reached the second qualifying round at Roland Garros in 2020 and 2021, Wimbledon in 2018 and 2019, and the US Open in 2019.
Roland Garros 2019
At Roland Garros qualifying in 2019, Raina faced the rapidly emerging Coco Gauff. Raina lost in straight sets but competed closely against the American teenager, who would soon become one of the leading players in women's tennis.
The match illustrated the narrow margins separating players around Raina's ranking level from those capable of making rapid progress into the WTA elite.
Career-High Singles Ranking
Raina reached her career-high singles ranking of world No. 160 on 2 March 2020. This represented the culmination of several years of consistent ITF success, WTA qualifying appearances and increasingly strong results at WTA 125 level.
At the time she was India's highest-ranked active women's singles player and had become the country's principal representative in many international competitions.
Billie Jean King Cup Breakthrough – 2020
Raina played an important role in one of the strongest periods in Indian Billie Jean King Cup history. During the 2020 Asia/Oceania competition she helped India qualify for the World Group playoffs for the first time.
Her ability to perform in national-team competition became one of the defining characteristics of her career. Alongside players such as Sania Mirza and Rutuja Bhosale, she helped India compete successfully against higher-ranked national teams.
2021 Australian Open
Raina came particularly close to making her Grand Slam singles main-draw debut at the 2021 Australian Open. She advanced to the third and final round of qualifying before being eliminated.
Although she never achieved a Grand Slam singles main-draw appearance, 2021 subsequently became the most important doubles season of her career.
First WTA Tour Title – 2021
Raina won her first WTA Tour championship at the Phillip Island Trophy in Melbourne in February 2021. Partnering Russia's Kamilla Rakhimova, she captured the women's doubles title.
The victory made Raina one of only a small number of Indian women to win a WTA Tour championship and represented the highest-level tournament title of her professional career.
Grand Slam Doubles – 2021
Raina competed in the women's doubles main draw at all four Grand Slam tournaments during 2021: the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open.
She was eliminated in the first round at each tournament, but appearing at every major during the same season represented a significant career milestone.
At Wimbledon she also competed in mixed doubles, again making her first appearance in that discipline at a Grand Slam.
Career-High Doubles Ranking
Raina's excellent doubles results carried her into the WTA Top 100. On 17 May 2021 she reached a career-high doubles ranking of world No. 93.
Reaching the Top 100 gave her greater access to WTA and Grand Slam doubles draws and confirmed that doubles had become as important to her international career as singles.
Tokyo Olympic Games
Raina represented India at the Tokyo Olympic Games, held in 2021. She partnered Indian tennis legend Sania Mirza in the women's doubles competition.
The Indian pair faced Ukrainian twins Nadiia and Liudmyla Kichenok in the opening round. Mirza and Raina won the first set convincingly and came close to victory before the Ukrainians recovered to win in three sets.
Despite the first-round defeat, becoming an Olympian represented one of the major milestones of Raina's career.
Arjuna Award
Raina received the Arjuna Award in 2021, one of India's most prestigious national honors for sporting achievement.
The recognition reflected not only her WTA ranking but also her Asian Games medal, Olympic participation, international titles and longstanding contribution to India's Billie Jean King Cup team.
2022 Season
Raina's singles ranking began to decline after her peak years, and she finished 2022 at world No. 301. She nevertheless continued competing extensively in both singles and doubles.
Doubles increasingly provided opportunities at WTA and WTA 125 level, while singles required a greater reliance on ITF tournaments.
2023 Season
Raina improved her singles ranking again during 2023, finishing the season at world No. 201. She also produced several useful results at WTA level.
At the WTA tournament in Rabat she reached the second round after defeating former Roland Garros finalist Sara Errani in three sets. The victory demonstrated that she remained capable of competing effectively against highly experienced tour-level opponents.
2023 Asian Games
Raina returned to the Asian Games in Hangzhou as the defending women's singles bronze medalist from 2018. She progressed to the third round before losing a close three-set match and was unable to repeat her medal-winning performance.
Her participation nevertheless reinforced her status as one of India's principal women's tennis representatives across more than a decade.
2024 Season
Raina continued competing internationally during 2024 and reached the quarterfinals of the Veneto Open in Gaiba, a WTA 125 grass-court tournament.
The result was particularly appropriate given that she has consistently listed grass as her favorite surface. She finished the year ranked world No. 306 in singles.
2025 Season
Raina remained active during 2025, although her singles ranking declined further to a year-end position of No. 482. Her tournament schedule increasingly emphasized doubles alongside selected singles appearances.
She continued playing ITF events and represented Indian tennis internationally, demonstrating considerable longevity more than fifteen years after beginning her professional career.
2026 Season
Raina remains an active professional player in 2026 at the age of 33. Her singles ranking has fallen considerably from its peak, while doubles remains the stronger part of her current professional profile.
During 2026 she has continued competing regularly and recorded a balanced singles win-loss record through late July. Her doubles schedule has remained particularly active, with more than twenty victories during the season.
Current Ranking
Raina's singles ranking has fluctuated substantially during 2026 as she competes mainly on the ITF circuit. In late July she was ranked outside the Top 600 in singles.
Her doubles position remains considerably stronger. By late July 2026 she was ranked around world No. 170, keeping her within range of higher-level ITF and selected WTA doubles events.
Singles Career
Raina's singles career has been built primarily around the ITF circuit rather than regular WTA Tour main draws. She has won eleven ITF singles championships and reached numerous additional finals.
Her peak ranking of No. 160 placed her close to direct Grand Slam qualifying entry and made her India's leading singles player for significant periods of her career.
Although she never reached a Grand Slam singles main draw, her Asian Games bronze medal gives her singles career a major achievement beyond conventional WTA statistics.
Doubles Career
Doubles has produced Raina's most substantial achievements at tour level. She has won a WTA Tour title, a WTA 125 title and more than thirty ITF doubles championships.
Her WTA title at the Phillip Island Trophy, WTA 125 championship in Taipei and career-high ranking of No. 93 demonstrate that she reached a significantly higher international level in doubles than her singles ranking alone might suggest.
Grand Slam Record
Raina never reached a Grand Slam singles main draw. Her best singles qualifying result was the final qualifying round of the 2021 Australian Open.
In doubles she competed in all four Grand Slam tournaments during 2021, losing in the first round at the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and US Open. She also made a Wimbledon mixed-doubles appearance that year.
Playing Style
Raina is a right-handed player with a two-handed backhand and stands approximately 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in). Because she lacks the height and leverage of the tour's biggest servers, her game has traditionally depended more on movement, consistency, anticipation and point construction.
She is a determined baseline competitor who is comfortable extending rallies and using changes of direction to create opportunities. Her physical fitness and willingness to compete for long periods have been important characteristics throughout her career.
Forehand and Backhand
Raina's groundstrokes are based more on placement and consistency than overwhelming pace. Her two-handed backhand is compact and reliable, while the forehand provides greater opportunities to attack when she can establish favorable court position.
Against more powerful opponents, she attempts to absorb pace and redirect the ball rather than compete purely in terms of shot speed.
Movement and Competitive Strength
Movement has been one of Raina's principal strengths. Her relatively compact build allows her to cover the baseline efficiently, and she has developed a reputation for physical resilience and persistence.
These qualities have been particularly valuable in Billie Jean King Cup competition, where she has repeatedly produced strong performances while representing India.
Grass-Court Preference
Raina has identified grass as her favorite surface, an unusual preference for a player whose professional development took place predominantly on hard courts and clay.
Her compact strokes and movement can translate effectively to grass, and she reached the second round of Wimbledon qualifying in both 2018 and 2019. Her 2024 Gaiba WTA 125 quarterfinal provided another notable grass-court result.
Importance to Indian Women's Tennis
Raina's career has considerable significance within Indian tennis. Following Sania Mirza's transition away from singles, India had relatively few women capable of sustaining rankings around the world's Top 200.
Raina became one of the country's most consistent international competitors, reaching No. 160 in singles and No. 93 in doubles while representing India in the Billie Jean King Cup, Asian Games, South Asian Games and Olympic Games.
Relationship to Sania Mirza's Era
Raina never reached the ranking heights achieved by Sania Mirza, but she became one of the most important players in the generation that followed her. The two careers eventually overlapped in doubles and national-team competition.
Their partnership at the Tokyo Olympics was particularly symbolic: India's most internationally successful female tennis player partnered a player who had spent much of the preceding decade helping maintain India's presence in international women's competition.
Career Highlights
Full name: Ankita Ravinderkrishan Raina
Born: 11 January 1993, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Nationality: Indian
Height: 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)
Plays: Right-handed, two-handed backhand
Started playing tennis: Age 5
Turned professional: 2009
Favorite surface: Grass
Career-high singles ranking: No. 160 (2 March 2020)
Career-high doubles ranking: No. 93 (17 May 2021)
WTA singles titles: 0
WTA doubles titles: 1
WTA doubles champion: Phillip Island Trophy (2021, with Kamilla Rakhimova)
WTA 125 doubles titles: 1
WTA 125 doubles champion: Taipei (2018, with Karman Kaur Thandi)
ITF singles titles: 11
ITF doubles titles: More than 30
Asian Games: Bronze medal, women's singles (2018)
South Asian Games: Gold medal, women's singles (2016)
Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020/2021, women's doubles with Sania Mirza
Australian Open singles: Final qualifying round (2021)
Roland Garros singles: Second qualifying round (2020, 2021)
Wimbledon singles: Second qualifying round (2018, 2019)
US Open singles: Second qualifying round (2019)
Australian Open doubles: First round (2021)
Roland Garros doubles: First round (2021)
Wimbledon doubles: First round (2021)
US Open doubles: First round (2021)
Arjuna Award: 2021
2023 year-end singles ranking: No. 201
2024 year-end singles ranking: No. 306
2025 year-end singles ranking: No. 482
2026 singles ranking: Outside the Top 600 in late July
2026 doubles ranking: Around No. 170 in late July
Career prize money: More than $850,000
Current status: Active
Career Trajectory
Raina's career is characterized by persistence rather than a rapid breakthrough. She spent years developing on the ITF circuit before entering the Top 200 in 2018, when her Asian Games bronze medal established her as India's leading women's singles player of the period.
Her strongest ranking years followed between 2019 and 2021. She defeated former US Open champion Samantha Stosur, reached world No. 160 in singles, helped India achieve an important Billie Jean King Cup breakthrough and then reached the doubles Top 100.
The 2021 season represented the high point of her international career. She won her first WTA doubles title, competed in all four Grand Slam doubles tournaments, reached No. 93 in doubles and represented India alongside Sania Mirza at the Tokyo Olympics.
Although her singles ranking subsequently declined, Raina continued competing internationally rather than retiring. By 2026 she had accumulated more than fifteen years as a professional and remained active particularly in doubles.
Assessment
Ankita Raina's career is best understood in the context of Indian women's tennis rather than purely through global WTA rankings. A career-high singles position of No. 160 would normally identify a strong international professional rather than a major tour star, but Raina's national significance is considerably greater.
Her Asian Games bronze medal, Olympic appearance, WTA and WTA 125 doubles championships, Top-100 doubles ranking and longstanding Billie Jean King Cup service make her one of India's most accomplished female players of her generation. She also became an important bridge between the internationally successful Sania Mirza era and the younger generation of Indian women attempting to establish themselves on the WTA Tour.
Raina's professional longevity is equally notable. Rather than disappearing from international competition after falling from her peak rankings, she has continued playing ITF and doubles events into her thirties. Her career therefore represents persistence, national-team commitment and sustained professional competitiveness more than spectacular Grand Slam success, making her an important figure in the broader history of Indian women's tennis.
all texts by ChatGPT