Sania Mirza and Ankita Raina will represent Indian tennis in women’s doubles at Tokyo 2020 after the International Tennis Federation confirmed their qualification on Thursday.
The International Tennis Federation confirmed that Sania Mirza and Ankita Raina have secured entry into the women’s doubles event at the Tokyo Olympics.
Sania Mirza, who had a protected ranking of world No. 9, gained direct entry into the women’s doubles competition. Her protected ranking status followed a maternity break taken to give birth to her son, Izhaan.
Protected rankings allow a female tennis player to maintain her world ranking in the event of a lengthy injury lay-off or pregnancy. The system applies for three years post-pregnancy or one year from return of competition, whichever is earlier. The protected ranking could also be used to enter the Tokyo Olympics.
Before her maternity break, Mirza was ranked world No. 9 in women’s doubles. That ranking ensured she was guaranteed a starting slot for the Summer Games.
Under Olympic tennis regulations, Mirza was allowed to select her doubles partner provided the player was ranked within the top-300. She chose Ankita Raina, who is ranked world No. 95.
This will mark Mirza’s fourth Olympic appearance. For Raina, it will be her first Summer Games.
Men’s and Mixed Doubles Absence
While India will be represented in women’s doubles, there will be no Indian participation in the men’s doubles or mixed doubles events for the first time since Barcelona 1992.
Rohan Bopanna (world No. 38) and Divij Sharan (world No. 76) did not qualify for direct entry in men’s doubles. Their combined ranking was not sufficient to secure a place in the draw.
Bopanna and Sharan will now have to wait for any withdrawals if they are to have any hopes of playing at Tokyo 2020.
As things stand, there will also be no Indian team in mixed doubles. Qualification rules state that only players who have already made the Tokyo cut in either singles or doubles are eligible to team up for the mixed doubles event.
Mirza previously came closest to securing an Olympic medal at Rio 2016. She reached the semi-finals in mixed doubles alongside Rohan Bopanna. The pair were defeated by Czech Republic’s Lucie Hradecka and Radek Stepanek in the bronze medal playoff.
The Tokyo 2020 tennis events are governed by qualification criteria set out by the International Tennis Federation’s Olympic role and regulations, which outline ranking-based entry and protected ranking provisions.
Mirza’s qualification under the protected ranking rule reflects the application of those regulations in cases involving maternity leave. The policy is designed to ensure players who temporarily step away from competition due to pregnancy or extended absence retain access to major events within defined time limits.
With Mirza and Raina confirmed in the women’s doubles draw, India’s tennis representation at Tokyo 2020 will rest solely on the pairing in that event. The absence of entries in men’s doubles and mixed doubles marks a departure from previous Olympic cycles where Indian players featured across multiple disciplines.