# Nirupama Mankad

Nirupama Mankad (née Vasant; born 17 January 1947) is a former Indian tennis player. She is the first Indian woman in the modern era to play at a main draw of a Grand Slam. She was active from 1964 to 1979 and contested 25 finals and won 18 singles titles.She was one of the torch runners in the most famous spirit of freedom video that played on Indian television in the 1980’s.

## Career

Nirupama Mankad is the daughter of G. Vasant, a leading tennis player in India in his time. She survives her husband, the late Ashok Mankad, a former Indian Test cricketer. Their son Harsh Mankad is an Indian Davis Cup player.
Mankad won the Asian women's tennis championship in 1965 at the age of 17. She played Wimbledon junior event in 1965 and partnered Anand Amritraj in the mixed doubles event in 1971, reaching the second round. She took part in tournaments on ILTF European Circuit when she played in Europe such as reaching the semi finals at the Ilkley Open in 1970 where she lost to Corinne Molesworth who went on to win that event. She was India's top ranked tennis player between 1965 and 1978, winning the national championship seven times during this time. She won the Indian government's Arjuna award in 1980.
Her best ranking was No 1, and was also a two-time Asian champion and a Fed Cup player.

## ILTF Career finals
### Singles:25 (18 titles, 7 runners-up)

| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Location | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| Winner | 1. | January 1965 | Asian Lawn Tennis Championships | Calcutta, India | Hard | Lakshmi Mahadevan | 6–2, 6–4 |
| Runner-up | 1. | January 1965 | National Lawn Tennis Championships of India | New Delhi, India | Hard | Marion Law | 2–6, 4–6 |
| Runner-up | 2. | January 1966 | Central India Championships | Allahabad, India | Grass | Tiiu Kivi | 9–11, 2–6 |
| Runner-up | 3. | January 1966 | Western India Championships | Bombay, India | Hard | Carol-Ann Prosen | 3–6, 6–3, 4–6 |
| Runner-up | 4. | January 1968 | ? | Bombay, India | Clay | Aleksandra Ivanova | 3–6, 6–2, 4–6 |
| Winner | 2. | March 1968 | Western India Championships (2) | Bombay, India | Hard | Rattan Thadani | 6–2, 6–4 |
| Winner | 3. | December 1968 | Asian Lawn Tennis Championships (2) | Calcutta, India | Hard | Alice Tym | 6–1, 3–6, 6–3 |
| Winner | 4. | February 1969 | Western India Championships (3) | Bombay, India | Hard | Judith Dibar | 8–6, 6–3 |
| Winner | 5. | December 1969 | Indian International Championships | New Delhi, India | Hard | Alice Tym | 6–1, 3–6, 6–3 |
| Winner | 6. | February 1970 | Western India Championships (4) | Bombay, India | Hard | Irena Škulj | 3–6, 6–0, 6–3 |
| Winner | 7. | December 1970 | Cricket Club of India Tournament | Bombay, India | Hard | Kiran Peshawaria | 6–2, 6–3 |
| Runner-up | 5. | January 1971 | Andhra Pradesh State Championships | Amaravati, India | Hard | Tiiu Kivi | 2–6, 5-7 |
| Winner | 8. | January 1971 | National Lawn Tennis Championships of India | New Delhi, India | ? | Kiran Peshawaria | 4–6, 6–1, 6–1 |
| Winner | 9. | March 1971 | Kenyan International Championships | Nairobi, Kenya | Clay | Jenny Paterson | 6–0, 6–0 |
| Winner | 10. | February 1972 | Western India Championships (5) | Poona, India | Hard | Marilyn Tesch | 4–6, 2–6 |
| Runner-up | 6. | February 1974 | Western India Championships | Madras, India | Hard | Susan Das | 4–6, 2–6 |
| Winner | 11. | January 1975 | National Lawn Tennis Championships of India (2) | New Delhi, India | Hard | Susan Das | 7–5, 6–4 |
| Winner | 12. | February 1975 | Western India Championships (6) | Bombay, India | Hard | Udaya Kumar | 6–1, 6–1 |
| Winner | 13. | January 1976 | National Lawn Tennis Championships of India (3) | New Delhi, India | Hard | Susan Das | 6–4, 6–3 |
| Winner | 14. | February 1976 | Western India Championships (7) | Bombay, India | Hard | Lakshmi Mahedevan | 6–1, 6–0 |
| Winner | 15. | February 1977 | National Lawn Tennis Championships of India (4) | Bombay, India | Hard | Susan Das | 6–4, 6–3 |
| Winner | 16. | February 1977 | Western India Championships (8) | Bombay, India | Hard | Amreeta Ahluwalia | 6–4, 6–0 |
| Runner-up | 7. | January 1978 | Southern India Championships | Madras, India | Hard | Amreeta Ahluwalia | 5–7, 6–4, 8–6 |
| Winner | 17. | February 1978 | National Lawn Tennis Championships of India (5) | Calcutta, India | Hard | Amreeta Ahluwalia | 3–6, 6–1, 8–6 |
| Winner | 18. | January 1979 | Western India Championships (9) | Bombay, India | Hard | Amreeta Ahluwalia | 6–3, 6–2 |

### Doubles:19 (11 titles, 8 runners-up)

| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
| Runner-up | 1. | March 1964 | Jaipur, India | Hard | Lakshmi Mahadevan | Begum Khan Jill Rook | 0–6, 1-6 |
| Runner-up | 2. | January 1965 | Kolkata, India | Hard | Leela Panjabi | Begum Khan Rita Suriya | 2–6, 4-6 |
| Runner-up | 3. | January 1965 | New Delhi, India | Hard | Leela Panjabi | Marion Law Madonna Schacht | 6–2, 3–6, 3-6 |
| Winner | 4. | January 1966 | Thiruvananthapuram, India | Hard | Carol-Ann Prosen | Rita Bentley Elizabeth Starkie | 6–2, 6–4 |
| Winner | 5. | January 1966 | Mumbai, India | Hard | Begum Khan | Carol-Ann Prosen Sue Tutt | 6–2, 1–6, 6–4 |
| Winner | 6. | February 1966 | Hyderabad, India | Hard | Sue Tutt | Begum Khan Carol-Ann Prosen | 6–1, 6–4 |
| Winner | 7. | February 1966 | Chennai, India | Hard | Dechu Appaiah | Begum Khan Leela Panjabi | 6–2, 6–3 |
| Winner | 8. | February 1966 | Lucknow, India | Hard | Dechu Appaiah | Rita Bentley Anthea Rigby | 9–11, 6–4, 6–2 |
| Runner-up | 9. | January 1967 | Calcuta, India | Hard | Rita Suriya | Rena Abzhandadze Aleksandra Ivanova | 0–6, 5–7 |
| Runner-up | 10. | January 1968 | Bangalore, India | Hard | Jeroo Vakil | Aleksandra Ivanova Nina Turkheli | 0–6, 1–6 |
| Runner-up | 11. | January 1968 | Bombay, India | Hard | Rattan Thadani | Aleksandra Ivanova Nina Turkheli | 2–6, 3–6 |
| Winner | 12. | January 1969 | Visakhapatnam, India | Hard | Rita Suriya | Alice Tym Kiran Peshawaria | 6–2, 6–1 |
| Runner-up | 13. | January 1970 | Amritsar, India | Hard | Indu Sood | Aleksandra Ivanova Irena Škulj | 2–6, 1–6 |
| Winner | 14. | February 1971 | Kolkata, India | Hard | Kiran Peshawaria | Udaya Kumar Susan Das | 6–1, 6–3 |
| Winner | 15. | March 1971 | Nairobi, Kenya | Clay | Jenny Paterson | Marianna Brummer Greta Delport | 6–2, 6–2 |
| Winner | 16. | September 1971 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Hard | Cecilie Fleming | Somsri Klumsombut Phanow Sudsawadsi | 7–5, 6–4 |
| Winner | 17. | February 1974 | Chennai, India | Hard | Udaya Kumar | Susan Das Kiran Peshawaria | 6–4, 6–4 |
| Runner-up | 18. | September 1974 | Colombo, Sri Lanka | Hard | Susan Das | Lany Kaligis Lita Liem Sugiarto | 5–7, 6–1, 1-6 |
| Winner | 19. | February 1978 | New Delhi, India | Hard | Amreeta Ahluwalia | Carol Draper Robin Harris | 5–7, 6–2, 6–0 |