Ask most athletes about their turning point, and they’ll tell you a story that spans years. Ask , and she’ll point to a tournament from just a few months ago.
“Honestly, I would say that winning a tournament recently and beating the current India No. 1 really meant a lot to me. Of course, that tournament also helped me earn a place in the World Cup squad,” she told Pickleball Now.
Ebrahim had lost to Mihika Yadav in the bronze medal match at the BIDV Cup in Vietnam. But she proved her mettle at the Picklebay Zonals – North by stunning Mihika in the Pro Women’s Singles final.
That’s the thing about Ebrahim’s story. It moves fast. She’s one of eight players picked to represent India’s senior team at the Pickleball World Cup, and by her own admission, she’s only been playing the sport for a little over a year. “I just started pickleball like a year, a little over a year ago,” she said. “To me, it really means a lot, and I’m glad that the journey’s been like this so far.”
She’s not naive about what got her there either. Her win at Pickleball Zonals – North, where she took the women’s singles gold, wasn’t a lucky break. “When I got to know that it was going to be a World Cup trial, that just gave me extra motivation,” she explained. “Ever since I found out, all my practice and everything have been focused on one goal going into the tournament.”
There’s also a detail in her preparation that’s easy to miss but says a lot about how seriously she’s taking this. She’s already competed in Vietnam, the host country for the World Cup, at the BIDV Cup. There, she took a game off top-ranked player Roos Van Reek and narrowly missed out on a bronze medal after losing to Mihika Yadav in the bronze medal playoff.
Despite returning home empty-handed, Ebrahim is happy to have gained valuable international exposure ahead of the Pickleball World Cup. “That just helps build my confidence against international players,” she said. “It’s always important to go outside India and compete against the best players in the world to see where you stand.”
On court, she describes herself as an aggressive player who thrives at the kitchen line and relies on a powerful serve to win points. “I love going for the ball, playing aggressive points, and making my way up to the kitchen,” she said. Off the court, she credits a simple pre-point routine with helping her stay composed and focused before every point.
A year into her pickleball journey, most players are still finding their footing. Ebrahim, however, is packing for Vietnam.