“Most of the times, when I actually have rest time, I am travelling.”

I have been playing with boys, which is helpful for me.

Fitness is the key. You need to have strokes and stamina and agility; you need to exercise really well. On-court and off-court are equally important.

Tennis, at times, I follow, but not much.

One tournament win doesn’t make you perfect.

The key is not being overconfident. You should not think that because I’m a top-ranked player, I will win this game. You have to be focused.

I have to keep moving and keep working hard.

Life has changed after Rio. Winning a silver medal was a huge moment for me. It has come with a lot of responsibilities.

I train for six days in a week for eight to ten hours of practice per day.

When you lose, you keep thinking, ‘I could have done things differently,’ but at that moment, you can’t do anything, so it is important to let go.

While I am training, I don’t go out for events, so rest days, in a way, take away that time. Apart from that, I just stay at home and rest, maybe relax at home and spend time with family.

In my early years, I would travel 56 km. from home to the training institute and back every single day.

Whoever plays well on a given day, that player wins.

I was 18 when I was presented with the Arjuna Award. To say it feels really good would be an understatement. But I don’t know how else to convey the feeling. I am grateful for having received this prestigious award at such a young age.

Sometimes you don’t play up to the mark, and you win even then.

Since the Rio Olympics, the expectations are always high, and the responsibilities are also high. I am used to it now. You have to keep going and keep working hard.

While there are many good courts in the country, we need to have good coaches for more players to come up. Not everyone can go to Gopichand Academy, and everyone cannot afford international tournaments.

From opal mornings to indigo nights I think about you, all the time.

I fought, I fought harder, but one cell at a time, panic crept into my body, taking me over.

Next time you’re about to call your daughter bossy, take a deep breath and say, ‘My daughter has executive leadership skills.’

I can at any moment convert my time into money, but I do not require more of the latter than is sufficient for necessary purposes.

Bake at any time. Lick the chocolate from the bowl. Lessons from my Nan.

I remember the stillness of the night when I met darkness for the first time.  Whispering gently in my ear “It’s time to come home”

Pain stole my heart and made it home. And I can’t do anything but welcome it.

Light at the end of the tunnel? We don’t even have a tunnel; we don’t even know where the tunnel is.