Shikha Uberoi

Shikha Devi Uberoi (Hindi: शिखा उबेरोई; born 5 April 1983) is a former Indian-American professional tennis player and a former Indian No. 1. After Nirupama Sanjeev, she is the second Indian female player in history to crack the top 200 WTA rankings, as well as the second to feature and win a round at a Grand Slam tournament.

Shikha Uberoi
Uberoi at the 2006 Asian Games
Full nameShikha Devi Uberoi
Country (sports) India
ResidencePrinceton, New Jersey, United States
Born (1983-04-05) 5 April 1983
Bombay, India
Height1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Turned proAugust 2003
Retired2011
PlaysRight-handed, two-handed backhand
Prize moneyUS$213,828
Singles
Career record192-205
Career titles0 WTA, 3 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 122 (29 August 2005)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian OpenQ2 (2005, 2006)
French OpenQ2 (2006)
WimbledonQ2 (2005, 2006)
US Open2R (2004)
Doubles
Career record106-149
Career titles0 WTA, 2 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 87 (19 February 2007)
Grand Slam Doubles results
WimbledonQ1 (2006, 2007)
US Open1R (2004)

Biography

Shikha was born to father Mahesh (who was a table-tennis player for India) and mother Madhu in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Her family moved to Princeton, New Jersey when she was an infant. She has one older sister (Diya) and three younger sisters (Neha, Nikita and Nimita). Her four sisters are also tennis players, but of all, Shikha is by far the most successful, and the only one to represent India (the other sisters represent the United States).

She was named the Zee Astitva Athlete of the Year 2007. She was one of the top-10 fastest servers in the world. She earned her bachelor's degree from Princeton University in Anthropology and South Asian Studies. She graduated with high academic standing while winning Princeton's prestigious Kit Harris Memorial Award for Leadership and Ethics.

Shikha launched her media and lifestyle company, SDU Seva, Inc. As of 2013, she is currently creating and producing international social issue television shows, and is a social entrepreneur. She speaks internationally at various diplomatic conferences on female empowerment through sport. She has recently been invited to sit on the board of directors of the World Economic Forum's "Global Shapers Initiative" for Bhopal. She is also a news and sports presenter and coaches all levels of tennis and fitness.[1]

Tennis career

She turned pro in August 2003. Though she has not won any WTA Tour event till date, Uberoi has three ITF Women's Circuit singles titles to her name- one in Harrisonburg in 2003 and two in Fort Worth and Edmond in 2004.[2]

At the 2004 US Open, Uberoi became the second ever Indian female player in the modern era to feature and win a round at a main draw Grand Slam Tournament, defeating Japan's Saori Obata.[3] (The first was Nirupama Vaidyanathan at the 1998 Australian Open.)

In 2005, Shikha reached 2 WTA doubles finals partnering sister Neha, one in Kolkata[4] and one in Guangzhou.[5]

In 2006, Uberoi represented India at the 2006 Asian Games where she defeated Linda Ahmad of Bahrain in Round 1, but retired in the second round to Zheng Jie of China.

In 2007, Shikha was the finalist in Auckland, partnering Su-Wei Hsieh.

She was also the India Fed Cup Team leader.

Career statistics

WTA Tour Finals

Doubles (0–3)

Winner – Legend (pre/post 2009)
Grand Slam tournaments
WTA Tour Championships
Tier I / Premier Mandatory & Premier 5
Tier II / Premier
Tier III, IV & V / International
OutcomeNo.DateTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponents in the finalScore in final
Runner-up 1. 25 September 2005 Sunfeast Open, Kolkata, India Hard Neha Uberoi Elena Likhovtseva
Anastasia Myskina
6–1, 6–0
Runner-up 2. 2 October 2005 Guangzhou Open, China Hard Neha Uberoi Maria Elena Camerin
Emmanuelle Gagliardi
7–6(7–5), 6–3
Runner-up 3. 7 January 2007 Auckland Open, New Zealand Hard Hsieh Su-wei Janette Husárová
Paola Suárez
6–0, 6–2

ITF finals (6-3)

Singles (3–0)

Legend
$100,000 tournaments
$75,000 tournaments
$50,000 tournaments
$25,000 tournaments
$10,000 tournaments
Finals by surface
Hard (3–0)
Clay (0–0)
Grass (0–0)
Carpet (0–0)
Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Winner 1. 3 August 2003 Harrisonburg, United States Hard Meghha Vakaria 6–1, 6–1
Winner 2. 20 June 2004 Fort Worth, United States Hard Neha Uberoi 6–1, 6–2
Winner 3. 27 June 2004 Edmond, United States Hard Anne Mall 6–2, 6–4

Doubles (3–3)

Legend
$100,000 tournaments
$75,000 tournaments
$50,000 tournaments
$25,000 tournaments
$15,000 tournaments
$10,000 tournaments
Finals by surface
Hard (2–2)
Clay (1–1)
Grass (0–0)
Carpet (0–0)
Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Winner 1. 21 February 2000 Victoria, Mexico Hard Brandi Freudenberg Maria Eugenia Brito
Alejandra Rivero
6–1, 6–1
Runner-up 1. 20 June 2004 Fort Worth, United States Hard Neha Uberoi Vania King
Anne Mall
6–2, 3–6, 6–7(5)
Runner-up 2. 21 June 2008 Houston, United States Hard Kim-Anh Nguyen Catrina Thompson
Christian Thompson
3–6, 5–7
Winner 2. 14 June 2009 El Paso, United States Hard Christina Fusano Maria-Fernanda Alves
Tetiana Luzhanska
6–3, 7–5
Runner-up 3. 26 June 2011 Cleveland, United States Clay Dianne Hollands Brooke Austin
Brooke Bolender
6–7(2), 3–6
Winner 3. 3 July 2011 Buffalo, United States Clay Dianne Hollands Paulina Bigos
Brittany Wowchuk
7–5, 6–4

References

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