After play-offs heartbreak last year, Ankita Raina and India set to start from scratch at BJK Cup

India qualified for the Billie Jean King (BJK) Cup Play-offs for only the second time last year, after finishing as the runners-up in Asia/Oceania Group I in Pune.

They later played the Play-offs in Bengaluru, losing 0-3 to Netherlands and 0-2 to Slovenia.

"It was amazing because in Pune we won and we qualified for the second time in history, which was huge, and we did it in India. Pune is where I trained, so it was special as well ," Ankita Raina, who was a part of the team, fondly recalled in a conversation with The Bridge on Friday.

"And then Bangalore again, it was special because we were having the playoffs in India for the first time, playing at home conditions, and we had a lot of crowd support. The organisation was amazing, so we couldn’t have asked for more. We missed very narrowly for qualifying," she added.

Speaking on the sidelines of a training session ahead of India's 2026 BJK Cup Asia/Oceania Group I matches in Delhi, Raina reflected on the loss.

"I was playing singles and both my matches were really close. When you are out there, you are there to win, so you are disappointed and sad," she said.

"But the best part about being in sport or being a tennis player is that you learn to take losses. You don’t stay feeling bad or low. It’s another day, and you wake up again and do what’s needed to get better or improve. I think because we have that mindset, that’s why we were able to qualify again," she added.

India will compete alongside Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Mongolia and Thailand as they start their new campaign at the DLTA Complex, starting on April 7. They'll battle it out in a round-robin format with two coveted qualification spots for the Play-offs up for grabs.

Looking ahead to this year’s competition, Raina said the team is aware of their strengths and weaknesses and that it will help in charting a plan for the opponents.

"We have played the teams that are going to be here and who we will compete against. We know all the players and have played against them, so we know their strengths and weaknesses, and the same goes for them," she said.

She believes playing at home could work in India’s favour as the team begins its preparation for another big push.

"The good part is that we are in India and playing at home, so we will have that advantage. The rest depends on the day. When you are playing for India, especially for me, my best results have come when I have played for the country," she highlighted.

Over the years, Raina has learnt to be fearless on the court. As one of the senior members of the squad, she also shared her message for younger players.

"When they go out there, rankings or the opponent don’t matter. We try to understand the player and have strategies, Plan A and Plan B. The most important thing is to believe that they can do it when they step out there," Ankita said.