Hello everyone! We are delighted to be interviewing Pranjala Yadlapalli at ITD. Pranjala has achieved a career-high singles ranking of 265 and a doubles ranking of 232 on the ITF women’s tour. She has won four singles titles and six doubles titles. She recently made her comeback at the ITF W25 tournament in November in Bangalore.
Tirtha Mutha: What are your thoughts on your match today versus Naho Sato?
Pranjala: It was good, actually. I mean, coming back and playing after over a year—and the past couple of years have been very on and off—so I felt like initially I was very rusty. But slowly, I started to feel better, and I think I played well. It’s just that at crucial moments, I couldn’t make the right shot selections or turn things around. But yeah, I felt like I played much better compared to my matches in Delhi.
Tirtha Mutha: What do you think were the key moments in the match?
Pranjala: I was actually down 1-5 in the first set, and then I made it 4-5, 30-0. That was a pretty bad phase because I lost three 30-0 games back-to-back. In the second set, it was a bit closer—3-all, 4-all. I think I couldn’t take those crucial points. Naho was stepping in more, and her shot selection was on point. Fitness-wise, it was a little tough for me, but overall, it was a good match.
Tirtha Mutha: You’ve had a stop-start journey over the past six years after breaking into the top 300 as a 19-year-old. Can you talk in detail about some of the issues that have impacted your playing journey?
Pranjala: Yeah, I’ve had multiple injuries and niggles, one after another. It was really tough because every time I had to stop, I had to start from scratch again. It was hard, both mentally and physically. But my passion for the game kept me going. I felt like it was really tough for me to quit, so I just kept pushing forward.
Tirtha Mutha: What has been your support system like during this phase?
Pranjala: My parents and family have been my biggest support. I really have to thank them because even though I was struggling financially—it’s a very expensive sport—they believed in my talent and supported me. Without their support, I wouldn’t be continuing. Also, my coaches have been a great help. I was with Coach Srinath Prahlad sir, who helped me a lot. Later, I felt like I needed to train closer to home, so I moved to Hyderabad and am now training at Ganesh Raman Tennis Academy. The coaches there have been very supportive as well.
Tirtha Mutha: Who are you currently working with for coaching and physio support?
Pranjala: At the moment, I’m training with Ganesh Sir at Ganesh Raman Tennis Academy in Hyderabad. For physio, I’m working with Basu Sir in Chennai for strength and conditioning. We’ve started from scratch and are taking it slowly, step by step.
Tirtha Mutha: If it’s okay to share, how is your sponsorship and financial situation now to fund your tennis journey?
Pranjala: I don’t have any sponsors at the moment. It’s just my dad funding everything. It’s actually a very expensive sport, so it would be so much better if I could get a sponsor. Initially, I had support from GVK and the Go Sports Foundation, but right now, it’s just my dad. Now that I’m starting to travel abroad, I have to be very careful with the budget and plan everything accordingly.
Tirtha Mutha: You’re playing with your protected ranking for this tournament. Have you considered asking for a wild card to save your protected ranking for foreign tournaments?
Pranjala: I have a total of 12 protected rankings, and I’ve used two in Bangalore and Solapur, so I have 10 left. I played in Delhi and here, so now I have eight left. Whether I use them or not, they’ll expire by March end. It’s been three years since I haven’t been playing, so they’ll expire anyway. I thought I’d use them because they’ll just expire otherwise. But in the future, if I could get wild cards in Indian tournaments after my protected ranking expires, it would really help my comeback journey.
Tirtha Mutha: Have you ever considered quitting tennis during this challenging phase?
Pranjala: Yeah, a couple of times I did. I thought, “No, I’m not going to play anymore. I’m going to quit.” It felt like whatever I did, something would always come up. Last year was the worst because I had three MRIs one after another. I had a back issue with nerve impingement going down my leg, and I couldn’t push hard or do anything basic. That’s when I went to Basu Sir, and he helped me. Even now, fitness-wise and tennis-wise, I’m taking it slow. I’ve only been playing 60 to 90 minutes max since December, and fitness training is also very basic. I’m progressing gradually.
Tirtha Mutha: What kept you motivated to keep trying to make a comeback?
Pranjala: I would say the love and passion for the game. I’ve always felt confident in my abilities. At 19, I was ranked 265 in singles and 232 in doubles, so I knew I had the game. Even in matches where I didn’t have proper fitness or practice, I did well. I felt like if I could be 100%, I could do much better. Mentally, there were really bad days, but my parents, especially my mom, kept me motivated. They always told me this is my journey and destiny, and they would support me no matter what. I’m very thankful for them.
Tirtha Mutha: What’s next for you in terms of your schedule?
Pranjala: I haven’t planned anything yet. I want to see how the tournaments go. I need to work on improving my fitness and stamina, but I’m taking it slow because of my history of injuries over the past four to five years. Right now, it’s just basic fitness and 60 to 90 minutes of tennis. I’m thinking of playing Indian tournaments at the end of February or early March, or maybe some 15Ks. I’ll discuss it with my coach and plan accordingly.
RAPID FIRE
| Hobbies | Watching TV |
| Favorite Travel Destination | Australia |
| Favorite player | Roger Federer |
| Favorite cuisine and dish | Anything. I like food. Maybe Mexican. |
| Favorite home meal | Chicken Biryani |
| A song that’s on repeat mode for you right now | Oh, not one. There are a few songs. From Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, there’s one song I like |
| A place you haven’t been to but would love to visit | Switzerland |
| Your best win so far and why | Lagos—I had some good matches there |
| A loss that hurt you the most and why | The WTA 125 in Mumbai in 2018. That was my best year. I was 6-3, 5-2 up against Kumkhum, a Thai player who was top 100. I lost, and she went on to win the title. Since then, I’ve been dealing with injuries one after another. That loss always hurts me |
| Who’s the toughest opponent you’ve faced so far | Probably Kumkhum or Anna Bogdan. Everyone is really good—it just depends on who plays better on the day |