
This Tennis Legend Keeps Ultimate Table Tennis Star Yashaswini Ghorpade Going. Not Sania Mirza
The Ultimate Table Tennis wrote a new chapter on the conclusion of its sixth edition as the tournament found a new winner. U Mumba gave a dominating performance and defeated Jaipur Patriots in the grand finale on June 15 in Ahmedabad and clinched their maiden UTT title. The entire Mumbai team performed like a single unit and did not even let Jaipur take a sigh of relief even for once during the match. With this performance, U Mumba etched their name in the history books of UTT.
Although Yashaswini Ghorpade didn't feature in the final, her standout semi-final display epitomised U Mumba's collective strength this season. In the semis against Dempo Goa Challengers, U Mumba needed three victories in all the remaining three matches, in order to reach the final. However, Yashaswini held her nerves and defeated Krittwika Sinha Roy in the women's singles clash and took her side into the final.
The 20-year-old played her first UTT season in 2024 with the Goa Challengers and went on to lift the title with them. In 2025, she was roped in by the U Mumba and surprisingly, she clinched the title again.
Speaking to the media before the final, Yashaswini revealed that before the season, she was going through some tough time but she gathered herself back and gave an exemplary performance.
"Last two-three months were quite difficult for me. Before this season, I was a bit down but things changed when I came here. It is amazing to be around many champion players and the team environment always lifts me up," said Yashaswini.
While replying to a query from NDTV, Yashaswini also stated that tennis legend Roger Federer is her biggest motivation.
"Roger Federer is my biggest motivation. I always sees his matches and even his workout and fitness routines to keep myself going. He is the biggest inspiration and I also want to achieve something like that," she said.
Talking about the grand finale, wins for Lilian Bardet and Bernadette Szocs gave U Mumba an early lead, before Szocs and Akash Pal swept the mixed doubles 3-0 to take them to the brink. Teenager Abhinandh PB sealed the title with a clutch game win in the fourth match.

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For paddler Diya, mental strength helps her take huge strides
CHENNAI: DIYA Chitale's run in this season's Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) here may have ended in defeat after her narrow defeat to Sreeja Akula of the Jaipur Patriot in the deciding women's single match. But her demeanour with the paddle stood out in her performance, like it did in all her games. With a height of 4 foot 11 inches, Chitale has put on performances of tall proportions. She has put on dominant shows, and has shown her mental fortitude in high pressure situations. 'I knew it was going to be a close match. I think Sreeja (Akula) is a really amazing player and we have played each other many, many times. So, both of us know each other's game really well. So, I knew it was going to be a tough match. When the tie is at 7-7, it can be anybody's match. This is where I think it's more of the mental battle. And hats off to her. She was really calm in the end. And maybe I was a bit impatient,' she told this daily after her semi-final defeat on Saturday (June 14) She summarised the season with her franchise, Dabangg Delhi TTC. 'I had an amazing season last year with Delhi(where they lost the final to Goa). This year, we were unbeaten in the first four matches. But there's always going to be one winner and someone who loses. I am really very happy with how we played throughout the tournament and how we went about it,' she said.


NDTV
a day ago
- NDTV
This Tennis Legend Keeps Ultimate Table Tennis Star Yashaswini Ghorpade Going. Not Sania Mirza
The Ultimate Table Tennis wrote a new chapter on the conclusion of its sixth edition as the tournament found a new winner. U Mumba gave a dominating performance and defeated Jaipur Patriots in the grand finale on June 15 in Ahmedabad and clinched their maiden UTT title. The entire Mumbai team performed like a single unit and did not even let Jaipur take a sigh of relief even for once during the match. With this performance, U Mumba etched their name in the history books of UTT. Although Yashaswini Ghorpade didn't feature in the final, her standout semi-final display epitomised U Mumba's collective strength this season. In the semis against Dempo Goa Challengers, U Mumba needed three victories in all the remaining three matches, in order to reach the final. However, Yashaswini held her nerves and defeated Krittwika Sinha Roy in the women's singles clash and took her side into the final. The 20-year-old played her first UTT season in 2024 with the Goa Challengers and went on to lift the title with them. In 2025, she was roped in by the U Mumba and surprisingly, she clinched the title again. Speaking to the media before the final, Yashaswini revealed that before the season, she was going through some tough time but she gathered herself back and gave an exemplary performance. "Last two-three months were quite difficult for me. Before this season, I was a bit down but things changed when I came here. It is amazing to be around many champion players and the team environment always lifts me up," said Yashaswini. While replying to a query from NDTV, Yashaswini also stated that tennis legend Roger Federer is her biggest motivation. "Roger Federer is my biggest motivation. I always sees his matches and even his workout and fitness routines to keep myself going. He is the biggest inspiration and I also want to achieve something like that," she said. Talking about the grand finale, wins for Lilian Bardet and Bernadette Szocs gave U Mumba an early lead, before Szocs and Akash Pal swept the mixed doubles 3-0 to take them to the brink. Teenager Abhinandh PB sealed the title with a clutch game win in the fourth match.


NDTV
a day ago
- NDTV
"Always Hear Stories About Indian Army": UTT 6 Star Sreeja Akula Reveals Her Biggest Motivation
The sixth edition of the Ultimate Table Tennis concluded on June 15 with U Mumba defeating Jaipur Patriots in the summit clash and clinching the title. After putting a dointing show, U Mumba etched their name in the history books and lifted their maiden UTT title. Wins for Lilian Bardet and Bernadette Szocs gave U Mumba an early lead, before Szocs and Akash Pal swept the mixed doubles 3-0 to take them to the brink. Teenager Abhinandh PB sealed the title with a clutch game win in the fourth match. Despiite being on the losing side, the 2025 of UTT was a memorable one for young sensation Sreeja Akula. The 26-year-old star played for the Jaipur Patriots and played an important role in their journey to the grand finale. On the eve of the finale, Sreeja spoke to NDTV and expressed her gratitude of being a part of UTT 6 and how the tournament helped her with her game. "This journey was amazing. The team is very supportive. All the players stood like a single unit and performed in every game. The success of Jaipur Patriots is entirely because of the team effort and not because of any single person. My aim was just to give my best and implement what I have learnt so far," Sreeja told NDTV. Jaipur Patriots defeated Dabang Delhi in the semi-final match 8-7, where Sreeja was the standout performer for her side. Talking about her biggest motivation in life, the paddler stated that the urge of winning a medal for the country always keeps her going. Sreeja further revealed that she has been playing table tennis since the age of eight and she always motivated by seeing the hardwork of the Indian army. "I started playing table tennis at the age of eight. My father used to play it, not professionally but as a hobby. He joined my sister initially and seeing my sister, I also started playing. I won my first international medal when I was 11. So, there was confusion as I was also good in studies and scored 96% in class 12. My parents and I were confused whether to pursue the sport or do something academically," said Sreeja. "Later, my sister and my coach motivated my that I should focus on table tennis and that's how I got into the game. Moreover, I am also motivated by the Indian army and want to do something for my country. I always hear the stories of the sacrifices they are making so that motivates me to do something," she added. After years of hardwork, success came in the form of the prestigious Arjuna Award for Sreeja in 2022.