Sybille146;s doubles game: Tennis and Tina

Tennis players sagging under bulky kitbags are not known to add a baby-crib to their traveling baggage. Time and tolerance for a cranky kid ...

3 min readBangaloreFeb 15, 2006 12:00 AM IST

Tennis players sagging under bulky kitbags are not known to add a baby-crib to their traveling baggage. Time and tolerance for a cranky kid are expected to be at a premium for those who jet-set every weekend, if defending cutthroat points and climbing up the WTA ladder are your objectives.

But Sybille Bammer moved up 142 ranks after she took an entire year off from the Tour to have a baby.

‘‘Brave. That’s how I’d describe her decision in 2001’’, says the Austrian’s coach Jurgen Waber, who oversaw the five-year ride that Bammer from World No. 205 to No 63 after Tina, now 4, was born.

Bammer, who reached her maiden third round at a Grand Slam in Australia earlier this year, said that the baby-break had done her no harm — and lots of good. ‘‘I moved up the rankings, and cracked the Top-100 in 2005 for the first time in my nine years as a professional’’, smiles Bammer.

The path has been slow, without peer reference there are only two other mums currently on tour, see box. and not without obvious glitches. ‘‘My fitness was nil after she was born, and initially I couldn’t train beyond three days a week’’, Bammer recalls. ‘‘But I wanted to try my best and started all over again from the fringe stops on the ITF circuit.’’

Encouraging results at small tournaments in Austria and France yielded generous wildcards at hometowns Linz and Vienna, though qualification at Tour events seemed to evade her, and Grand Slams looked even more distant until last year. A 4-1 upset win over the US in the Fed Cup got the ball rolling in 2004, setting up a fruitful 2005 where the southpaw tasted success at the majors.

‘‘After Tina’s birth, Sybille was playing for fun, but she was working hard as well. It was different because she had to care for the child all the time and Tina traveled everywhere, and was always upto some mischief’’, says coach Waber. ‘‘But it is good because Sybille isn’t always obsessed with tennis and can unwind with the kid.’’

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Is Tina taking to tennis then ? ‘‘Yes, she can hit over the net most of the time. But only the forehand’’, says the tennis mum, who is hoping to add the double-fisted backhand to young Tina’s evolving repertoire.

Shivani Naik

Shivani Naik is a senior sports journalist and Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is widely considered one of the leading voices in Indian Olympic sports journalism, particularly known for her deep expertise in badminton, wrestling, and basketball. Professional Profile Role: Assistant Editor and Columnist at The Indian Express. Specialization: While she covers a variety of sports, she is the primary authority on badminton for the publication. She also writes extensively about tennis, track and field, wrestling, and gymnastics. Writing Style: Her work is characterized by "technical storytelling"—breaking down the biomechanics, tactics, and psychological grit of athletes. She often provides "long reads" that explore the personal journeys of athletes beyond the podium. Key Topics & Recent Coverage (Late 2025) Shivani Naik’s recent articles (as of December 2025) focus on the evolving landscape of Indian sports as athletes prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and beyond: Indian Badminton's "Hulks": She has recently written about a new generation of Indian shuttlers characterized by power and physicality, such as Ayush Shetty and Sathish Karunakaran, marking a shift from the traditionally finesse-based Indian style. PV Sindhu’s Resurgence: A significant portion of her late-2025 work tracks PV Sindhu’s tactical shifts under new coaching, focusing on her "sparkle" and technical tweaks to break out of career slumps. The "Group of Death": In December 2025, she provided detailed tactical previews for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s campaign in the BWF World Tour Finals. Tactical Deep Dives: She frequently explores technical trends, such as the rise of "backhand deception" in modern badminton and the importance of court drift management in international arenas. Legacy and History: She often revisits the careers of legends like Saina Nehwal and Syed Modi, providing historical context to current Indian successes. Notable Recent Articles BWF World Tour Finals: Satwik-Chirag have it all to do to get through proverbial Group of Death. (Dec 2025) The age of Hulks in Indian badminton is here. (Dec 2025) Treadmill, Yoganidra and building endurance: The themes that defined the resurgence of Gayatri and Treesa. (Dec 2025) Ayush Shetty beats Kodai Naraoka: Will 20-year-old be the headline act in 2026? (Nov 2025) Modern Cinderella tale – featuring An Se-young and a shoe that fits snugly. (Nov 2025) Other Sports Interests Beyond the court, Shivani is a passionate follower of South African cricket, sometimes writing emotional columns about her irrational support for the Proteas, which started because of love for Graeme Smith's dour and doughty Test playing style despite being a left-hander, and sustained over curiosity over their heartbreaking habit of losing ICC knockouts. You can follow her detailed analysis and columns on her official Indian Express profile page. ... Read More

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