Coach Balachandran Manikkath is at the ATP Delray Beach Open event with Sriram Balaji and Rithvik Bollipalli. He spoke to ITD on the progress of Doubles Dream of India project.
Interview by Tilok Karki, father of USA Under-18 No. 1 ranked Ronit Karki.
ITD: Nice to meet you, Bala sir. ITD here in Delray Beach. Rithvik just finished Dallas, his debut ATP 500 event. How do you think he did?
Balachandran Manikkath: Considering the circumstances – two days before, he was playing Davis Cup in India, then flew to Dallas and got in late. He and Nico played for the first time, without a practice set, against a top team. It was very impressive. That partnership has great potential. A good start, even though they lost. We take a lot of positives from that match.
ITD: Congrats to him on the Davis Cup win also. Was it his Davis Cup debut?
Balachandran Manikkath: Yes. Then the travel from Delhi to Dallas… When you play for your country, that’s a high. Then he gets the news about the ATP 500, another high. Things are going well for him.
ITD: You’re with Rithvik and Balaji both at this event. How have their games evolved in the past few months?
Balachandran Manikkath: They’ve come a long way, especially in confidence. Winning the ATP 250 made a big difference. Arjun Kadhe’s injury and the subsequent partner changes have been good learning experiences, showing Rithvik how to adapt to different partners and playing styles.
ITD: Exactly.
Balachandran Manikkath: Balaji is playing with Mickey, whom he played with last year with good results at the French Open. They’re restarting their partnership this week after a break. Hopefully, they’ll pick up where they left off in Paris.
ITD: You said Balaji is also in transit.
Balachandran Manikkath: Yes, he’s in the US already. He’ll arrive tonight. He has two days to adjust, coming from Europe.
ITD: You and Coach Raven are part of the Doubles Dream of India team. How do you manage your schedules?
Balachandran Manikkath: Rohan (Bopanna) decides based on geographical location, visa challenges, and the number of players. We split the workload. Sometimes players are in four different tournaments. Priority is given to higher-ranking tournaments. Rohan decides who goes where, considering travel, visa, etc.
ITD: So, both coaches are involved with all the players.
Balachandran Manikkath: Yes. The chemistry is there with everyone. Raven played at the top level, he’s a fantastic person. I learn a lot from him. We do camps together, and some tournaments we work together. It’s great for the program and the players that the coaches get along. Sometimes coaches don’t get along, which affects the players. Here, there are no mixed messages.
ITD: It’s consistent.
Balachandran Manikkath: Exactly. He has a good rapport with the players, as do I. Raven has been a great addition to the program.
ITD: Is Bopanna involved in coaching, or is it just you two?
Balachandran Manikkath: Not directly in coaching, but when he has time, he watches matches, talks to players, provides feedback. If players have challenges, they talk to him. He gives inputs on opponents. He’s not doing it daily, but there’s a lot of input from him. He also advises them on which tournaments to pick.
ITD: He’s a mentor in the program.
Balachandran Manikkath: Yes, Rohan is the mentor. He handles coaches’ travel, physios’ travel, the players. He’s part of the camps, a very hands-on role.
ITD: He’s very involved.
Balachandran Manikkath: Yes, we’re thankful for what he’s doing. Alongside playing tournaments, he’s watching matches. He watched Rithvik’s match this week, and he was in Mumbai watching Maya. Anyone who needs help goes to him. He’s happy to help.
ITD: The Indian doubles teams did very well in Challengers in 2024. What’s the next step?
Balachandran Manikkath: Doing well in Challengers has helped their rankings. Rithvik moved into the 70s, Balaji is near 60, Yuki is already there. Now they’ll play more tour events. We need to see if they can replicate those results. The tour level is higher. Consistency is key. A slip can cost you.
ITD: It’s about consistency.
Balachandran Manikkath: Yes. Many are knocking on the door of the top 100. We had nine or ten close to 100 last year. Yuki won two ATPs. Rithvik and Arjun won the ATP 250 in Almaty. Jeevan and Vijay won the ATP in Chengdu. Results in 250s are better than previous years. Rithvik made the semis in Metz. They’re moving in the right direction.
ITD: Do you pay attention to upcoming players also?
Balachandran Manikkath: Yes, in the preseason camp, we include younger boys. This year, we had Banthia, Adil, and Somani. The program focuses on players ranked within 200. They need to make that cut. We are exploring options for players ranked below 200, maybe on the Futures circuit.
ITD: You mentioned extending the program to women.
Balachandran Manikkath: Our sponsor, Mr. Kishore Patil, is keen on it. Currently, only Prarthana Thombare focuses solely on doubles. We can’t include players focused on singles due to scheduling. Prarthana is the only one. We’re closer to starting, with a few other players expressing interest in playing only doubles. If we have two or three players, we’ll start. We’ve been wanting to, but lacked the player commitment.
ITD: If a doubles player sees a singles opportunity, can they play that also?
Balachandran Manikkath: Niki used to play some Challengers. If he got into singles qualifiers, he would play. That’s not a problem. But if the schedule leans towards singles, it becomes complicated. Our doubles players focus on doubles tournaments, especially if they’re playing with another player in the program.
ITD: Quickfire questions. Best serve in Indian doubles, besides Bopanna?
Balachandran Manikkath: Bopanna is one. Balaji is two. Rithvik also has a good serve. Balaji has the bigger serve.
ITD: Best forehand?
Balachandran Manikkath: Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan.
ITD: Best backhand?
Balachandran Manikkath: Sriram Balaji. Single-handed, probably Bopanna, bring in Rohan. Rohan’s backhand is big. Pace doesn’t bother him.
ITD: Best net game?
Balachandran Manikkath: Sriram Balaji. Good hands at the net, Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan.
ITD: Best mover?
Balachandran Manikkath: Jeevan and Balaji both move well, and Vijay also moves well. Vijay is better at the baseline. Balaji is more overall.
ITD: Who will break out at the highest level in 2025?
Balachandran Manikkath: Yuki Bhambri is close to 50, Balaji is 60. They’re the closest. Yuki needs a good run in a big event, like a Slam, to jump the rankings. He needs those big points to get into the 40s. Masters events are difficult for him now, but he’s getting into Slams. Hopefully, this year, he’ll make a run at one of them. He’s been a bit unlucky with partners getting injured or falling sick.
ITD: How do players pick partners?
Balachandran Manikkath: They explore, talk to players who’ve played with them before. Rohan knows their strengths. It depends on which court they play. There are limited options. Sometimes you have only one or two choices. They see if they fit in with their game. Balaji and Yuki are mixing up their court positions, adapting to see what works.
ITD: As fans, we love to see Indian players together. Is that a consideration?
Balachandran Manikkath: We would like them to play together. Planning and help become easier. We can have them work as a team in the preseason. But rankings and other factors come into play. If we had five or six players inside the top 50, and two or three teams playing together, that would be great.
ITD: For Davis Cup, it would be beneficial.
Balachandran Manikkath: Exactly. Medal prospects at the Asian Games and Olympics go up. That’s where we want to be.
ITD: Communication is important.
Balachandran Manikkath: Yes. Even though India has many languages, it’s not a problem. For me, speaking Tamil with Balaji is helpful.
ITD: Tour life is tough, but you travel too.
Balachandran Manikkath: There are good things too. You’re watching the best players in the world. It’s a great life.
ITD: Lots of learning.
Balachandran Manikkath: Yes, and it’s great to see your players competing against them.
ITD: Thank you.
Balachandran Manikkath: Thank you. Thanks for coming to meet us. ITD does a fantastic job. The support you provide is phenomenal.
ITD: Thank you.
Balachandran Manikkath: This week, Maya and Manas are doing well. Maya could get to the finals. Prarthana is already in the doubles final in Mumbai. Two Indians in the finals! That’s how we improve visibility and attract sponsorships.
ITD: We need that boost for Indian tennis.
Balachandran Manikkath: Definitely.