Shivika Burman, a former pro player, has switched gears to coaching. Recently chosen as one of the two coaches for the ITF Grand Slam Player Development Programme’s touring team, she worked with several Asian junior players, including promising junior Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi. In addition, Burman co-founded ‘The Tennis Tree’ academy in Kolkata alongside her friend, Farid Alam.
In this interview, Burman sheds light on her early retirement, the instrumental role played by her father in her career, sharing the dressing room with the legendary Sania Mirza, her coaching journey so far, and much more:
Q) You were one of the very few pros coming out of Kolkata. How would you describe your support system growing up? Do you feel you were well supported?
SB – My biggest support was my family, and my dad, anyone who’s part of the Indian tennis circuit knows how crazy and passionate my Dad is about the sport. So I mean he was my first coach and it was just basically him that kind of just pushed me all the way through. I was privileged to have my family by my side, but unfortunately there wasn’t much institutional support. There was limited availability of financial resources, world-class training facilities and government support. This is one of the major reasons I quit my career as an athlete and took to coaching when I did.
Q) Your transition from juniors to pros – What went right? What went wrong? Anything you would have done differently?
SB – Now that I look back, I would have definitely done things differently. Back then, that was the best that we knew. I played juniors till my last year, when I was 18, because I was close to the Top 100 and had a chance to play the Junior Grand Slams. Obviously, Dad and we thought that would be a good way to maybe attract some sponsorships and things like that but it really didn’t work out that way.
So now, if I had to change anything, I would have paced out my tournaments better and paid more attention to my physical and nutritional development – which was not an important conversation back then. Now there’s more stress on holistic training modalities for athletes, and rest and training off the field are as important, but back then we didn’t have this knowledge and the tools to guide us. So spacing tournaments and dedicating that time to physical development would have, I believe, better prepared me for the physical demand of the pro circuit.
Burman during the 2007 WTA Sunfeast Open in Kolkata
Q) You got the chance to be a part of the 2010 Asian Games squad, Fed Cup ties – how was the experience? Especially sharing the dressing room with the great Sania Mirza?
SB – It was great. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to play any matches but I was part of the team and it was great sharing the same space with Sania because that was in fact the first time that I had met her personally. She was really nice, I got to practice with her and just learn so many things.
It’s different when you just hear about someone and when we see them on TV and versus when you actually spend time with them – like staying in the same apartment and spending those many days together. It was very different. It was nice to see how she was managing herself and the team and the way she welcomed everyone on the team. I think Nirupama (Sanjeev) was there and Rushmi (Chakravarthi) was there who obviously Sania knew from before. But Poojashree (Venkatesha) and I were the young ones and it may be the first or second time that Sania was seeing us so it was really nice.
Somdev (Devvarman) was there as well and honestly he really helped me that week. Because I didn’t get to play any matches, there were times where he would arrange a practice session for me with his coach. It was very nice to kind of have that experience.
Burman at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games
Q) You said you practiced with Sania. How does it feel to be on the other side of the thunderous forehands?
SB – I was actually nervous but it was nice. We had a good session – it with Poojashree, Sania and myself. She just made us feel very comfortable and very much part of the team.
I don’t think she went all out with those blasting forehands (laughs). But it was just great spending those hours on court together.
Burman during a Fed Cup tie
Q) You retired at 26-27, which is pretty early for a tennis player. What led to this decision?
SB – It was a very tough decision. I always knew at the back of my head that when I was done playing pros, I would get into coaching and still be associated with the sport, because that’s the only thing I’ve ever known. I love the sport and I am very passionate about it. Coaching wasn’t like a backup – but it was a plan. But I definitely didn’t plan on doing it that early.
It was tough – I was injured and it was getting tougher and tougher financially. I would see my dad struggling, even though he wouldn’t say it to me, I knew it was getting very difficult. I wanted to put in more work but my body was not allowing me to do so. Mentally I was ready to do it, but physically it was not possible. All these hours I was putting in, I thought I could put them into coaching and help other players get better.
Not many people know this, but when I stopped playing, my Dad and I actually didn’t speak for a couple of months. Because he still felt I had it in me, and that I should have taken more time to continue playing pro. More than him, I knew how hard it was a decision for me to take.
Q) Life after tennis – you’ve delved into coaching through The Tennis Tree. How’s that going?
SB – Once I stopped playing, I had a lot of opportunities to work in the US and other places. But I wanted to do something in Kolkata, because that is where I grew up. I wanted to give something back to the city. I met my old friend Farid (Alam) and we talked about setting up a coaching center. He already had 10 years of coaching experience.
We started this academy called ‘The Tennis Tree’ and there was no looking back. I loved every minute I spent on court. My Dad could see how happy I was doing that. He has always been supportive from day one, but it actually took him over a year to get used to the fact that I had stopped playing pros.
Q) You worked with Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi as part of the ITF GSDP for juniors. How has the experience been working with them?
SB – When I got the call from ITF, I was super excited. More so when I heard that Maaya was going to be part of the programme. I had traveled with Maaya before for Under 12 – so I knew her, her background, her game, etc. She’s an amazing kid with amazing potential.
It’s incredible to see Maaya’s work ethic at such a young age and how she manages herself on and off court. It was great coaching her for those couple of weeks.
Shivika (left) with Maaya in Egypt during an ITF Futures event in Feb’24
Q) Thoughts about Indian Tennis Daily (ITD)
SB – It’s really amazing what you guys are doing. I really wish we had something like this when I was playing. It’s just so nice for all these kids to have this kind of exposure to the kind of content you share. The way you all cover tennis all over the world, even if they’re playing in a small tournament. You celebrate players in whatever way you can, and that’s so great. Otherwise, there is no one to do it. There are so many Indian players we would have never known about if it weren’t for ITD. Thank you for what you guys do and hope you can continue doing so.
RAPID FIRE:
| QUESTION | ANSWER |
| Favorite City | New York |
| Favorite Tournament | Djibouti, that’s where I won my first pro title |
| Favorite Song | Here Without You and Hall Of Fame |
| Favorite Actor | John Abraham |
| Tennis Idol Growing Up | Lleyton Hewitt. I used to travel with his cutouts and mini posters in my bag |
| Best Friend On Tour | Dalila Jakupovic |
| Most Exciting Indian Player To Follow Right Now | Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi |