Post-Olympic slump continues for Sreeja Akula as Indian TT faces transition phase
Ten months after the Paris Olympics, Indian table tennis seems to be entering a phase of rebalancing. While Sreeja Akula has climbed back to become the India No.1 at World Rank 34, her recent run of form paints a grim picture.
A 7-17 win-loss record post-Olympics and a string of one-sided defeats have raised legitimate concerns about her trajectory on the WTT circuit.
❌ None Top-50 Win in 10 Months: Alarming Drop in Results
Since her historic WTT Contender Lagos title in 2024, Sreeja has failed to register a single victory against a top-50 opponent. Her 2025 season has been marked by early exits, many of them in straight games.
Most recently, she was outplayed by Christina Källberg (WR 76) at the WTT Contender Tunis, going down 0-3 in the Round of 32. Losses to higher-ranked players like Bernadette Szőcs (WR 13) and Kuai Man (WR 7) are understandable, but back-to-back defeats against mid-tier and even Indian challengers highlight a deeper issue.
➤ Key 2025 Defeats:
- 0-3 vs Christina Källberg 🇸🇪 (WR 76) — Contender Tunis
- 0-4 vs Bernadette Szőcs 🇷🇴 — ITTF World Cup Group Stage
- 2-3 vs Krittiwika Roy 🇮🇳 — Star Contender Chennai R32
- 0-3 vs Satsuki Odo 🇯🇵 — Star Contender Chennai
- 2-3 vs He Zhuojia 🇨🇳 — Singapore Smash R64
What’s worrying isn’t just the defeats, but the lack of competitive edge. Many of these matches saw Sreeja struggling with rhythm, unable to dictate pace, and increasingly predictable in her placement. Against top Asian defenders and European attackers alike, she has struggled to find answers.
Indian TT Rankings: Winds of Change
While Sreeja regains the India No.1 tag, it’s partly due to Manika Batra’s drop to WR 46, her lowest in three years.
Manika’s fall from the top-30 — where she resided for over a year — reflects a broader Indian TT reset. However, there is cause for optimism.
Indian Women’s WR Rankings (May 2025):
- 🇮🇳 Sreeja Akula — WR 34 🔼 (India No.1)
- 🇮🇳 Manika Batra — WR 46 🔽
- 🇮🇳 Ayhika Mukherjee — WR 69 🆕 Career High
- 🇮🇳 Yashaswini Ghorpade — WR 76 🆕 Career High
- 🇮🇳 Diya Chitale — WR 88 🆕 Career High
These rankings indicate the rise of a promising next wave, led by Ayhika, Yashaswini, and Diya, who’ve all hit career highs in 2025. While they are yet to challenge the world’s elite consistently, their progress is vital to India’s long-term goals in the sport.
🥇WTT Medal Table: Indian Players on the Podium
Despite Sreeja’s form dip, Indian paddlers have made their presence felt on the WTT Tour (excluding Feeders). Here are India’s top performers:
| Player | Gold | Silver |
| Sathiyan Gnanasekaran | 2 | 2 |
| Manika Batra | 2 | 2 |
| Archana Kamath | 2 | 1 |
| Harmeet Desai | 2 | 0 |
| Sreeja Akula | 2 | 0 |
| Ayhika & Sutirtha Mukherjee | 1 | 1 |
| Manav Thakkar | 1 | 1 |
| Manush Shah & Diya Chitale | 1 | 0 |
Sreeja’s 2024 success still holds weight here, but unless the current slide is reversed, it risks becoming a distant memory.
Is It Tactical? Mental? Or Both?
There’s no doubt that Sreeja remains one of the most technically sound Indian players—her backhand blocks, quick wrist counters, and flat drives have troubled top names in the past.
But in 2025, her game seems to lack unpredictability. Players have begun anticipating her serves and rallies. Unlike Ayhika, who brings variety through spin and sudden changes of pace, or Manika’s aggressive forehand play, Sreeja’s patterns are being read too easily.
Physically, she looks fit. There’s no visible fatigue or injury. But mentally, the confidence seems dented. Her hesitation in taking initiative during crunch moments has cost her multiple tight matches—particularly the 2-3 losses against Kuai Man and He Zhuojia, where she had leads but failed to close.
Jaipur Patriots Show Faith — Retain Her for ₹10 Lakhs
In some welcome news, Jaipur Patriots have retained Sreeja using the RTM (Right to Match) card for ₹10 Lakhs at the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) 2025 Auction. It’s a vote of confidence from franchise owners who still back her to bounce back. The upcoming UTT season might be the reset she needs.
What Lies Ahead?
The road only gets tougher. Sreeja will need to put these results behind her and focus on rebuilding her mindset.
There’s still time before the 2026 WTTC and the 2026 Asian Games, but the next few months will be crucial in deciding if Sreeja can return to the levels that made her a WTT champion.
IndiaSportsHub will continue tracking Sreeja Akula and all Indian paddlers on the global circuit—bringing insights, data, and expert takes to your fingertips.
