“The Home Crowd Helped Me” – Sahaja Yamalapalli on Her Victorious WTA 250 Debut
Following her 6-4, 6-2 victory over Priska Nugroho at the WTA Chennai Open, Indian No. 1 Sahaja Yamalapalli discussed her birthday win, her opponent’s tricky style, and handling the pressure of her main draw debut.
Q: A win on your birthday to mark your first-ever WTA 250 main draw match. How are you feeling?
A: Definitely, I’m really happy to get the win today, and I’m really happy with the way I played. Obviously, I was nervous because it was my first time playing a main draw at this level. But playing in front of the home crowd… actually helped a lot. If it was another country, I think it would have been a different kind of nervousness, but here I got over it because it’s our people.
Q: Your opponent, Priska Nugroho, has a very tricky game. What made it such a tough battle?
A: Priska is a very good player and always tough to play because she doesn’t give you rhythm. She throws in all kinds of balls at you. It’s not easy… she doesn’t let you get in the rhythm, and you have to produce all the shots. That’s the part of her game that’s very tricky. When everything is on your racket, you have to generate everything… sometimes you miss, sometimes you make. I had a higher percentage of making [my shots] today.
Q: You seemed to miss a few volleys. Was that just an off day, or part of her game plan?
A: I think today I didn’t really finish the volleys and missed quite a few. Normally I probably would make them. But she also makes you hit an extra ball, so that also gives more pressure to the player. Maybe that’s also causing me to miss.
Q: How do you assess your season so far, especially after that big match against Sloane Stephens recently?
A: I think I started the season really well, then I had a dip in between where I felt I wasn’t playing my game. But definitely in Tampico, when I played Stephens, I felt like I found my game again… and I kept that momentum here. Everyone has dips… I think now is the time I’m back again.
Q: Who is your coach right now?
A: I don’t have a coach right now. My friend, who is also a player, is just helping me out. We train together, so he knows me well. I am looking for a coach; at some point, I definitely need one. It’s hard to find the right fit with logistics, finances, and being based in different places, but I’m in the process.
Q: Many players face online abuse from bettors. Have you experienced this, and how do you handle it?
A: Yes, every time. Every time I win or lose. Sometimes they bet against you, and then you win, and they’re angry. It’s not in your control. I try not to look at it. My father manages my Instagram, so whenever I’m done, he’s always deleting the messages so I don’t see them. I know the WTA is doing a really good job trying to protect the players from all that.
