Vaishnavi Adkar continued her stunning rise in 2026, becoming India’s new women’s singles number one after a breakthrough run on the ITF circuit. The 21-year-old from Pune has been one of the biggest successes in Indian tennis this season, rising rapidly up the rankings after a string of outstanding performances.
Vaishnavi started the year at 643rdbut has now climbed to world No. 383 after moving up eight places in the latest WTA rankings. In doing so, she overtook Sahaja Yamalapalli, who is currently ranked 384, to become India’s top singles player. Vaidehi Chaudhari and Shrivalli Bhamidipathy are third and fourth among Indians. Courtesy: WTA
Vaishnavi is currently representing India in the Billie Jean King Cup 2026 Asia/Oceania Group I campaign in New Delhi. Fresh from a sensational rise on the ITF circuit, she earned her first call-up and headed into the prestigious team competition as India’s top singles player.
The hosts are expected to rely heavily on Vaishnavi and Sahaja Yamalapalli in the singles, while the experienced duo of Ankita Raina and Rutuja Bhosale could handle the doubles duties.
The Indian squad for the tournament consists of Vaishnavi Adkar, Sahaja Yamalapalli, Ankita Raina, Rutuja Bhosale and Zeel Desai, with Zeel coming in after injuries to Shrivalli Bhamidipaty and Vaidehee Chaudhari.
VAISHNAVI ADKARA’S DOMINANT RUN
Vaishnavi Adkar’s stunning rise in 2026 was due to excellent performances in Bengaluru and Kalaburagi. The 21-year-old became the first Indian since Sania Mirza in 2009 to reach the W100 final when she finished runner-up in Bengaluru, underscoring her rising status on the ITF circuit.
She then did even better in Kalaburagi, winning the singles title and collecting US$4,860 in prize money. Vaishnavi, seeded third, beat Ankita Raina 7-6(3), 6-4 in the all-India final on March 8 to seal the crown after a composed performance.
She had earlier stunned top seed Jasmijn Gimbrere, ranked 399th in the world, 6-3, 6-2 in the semi-finals. Vaishnavi also completed a memorable double in Kalaburagi when he teamed up with Ankita to win the doubles title with a dominant 6-2, 6-2 victory over Soha Sadiq and Akanksha Nitture.
– The end
Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
07 Apr 2026 13:51 IST
