Vaishnavi Adkar’s dream run continued as she broke into the WTA top 400 for the first time in her career. After winning the ITF W35 Kalaburagi title, the Pune star jumped 71 places to a career-best No. 397 in the latest rankings. More importantly, she has moved within touching distance of India’s No.1 ranking, just six places ahead of Sahaja Yamalapalli at No. 391.
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The 21-year-old started the year ranked 643 but has seen a remarkable rise after her strong runs in Bengaluru and Kalaburagi. It happened in Bengaluru the first Indian since Sania Mirza in 2009 to reach the W100 final. She then went one step further in Kalaburagi, winning the title and earning $4,860 in prize money. Courtesy: WTA
HOW DID VAISHNAVI PERFORM IN KALABURAGI?
Vaishnavi produced a breakthrough performance in Kalaburagi to cap off a great week by winning both the singles and doubles. Seeded third, she won the singles title after defeating compatriot Ankita Raina 7-6(3), 6-4 in the all-India final on 8 March. It was an even display from Vaishnavi, especially in a thrilling opening set before she took control in the second.
In the semifinals, Vaishnavi stunned top seed Jasmijn Gimbrere, ranked 399th in the world, with an impressive 6-3, 6-2 win to book her place in the final. She also completed a memorable double in Kalaburagi when she teamed up with Ankita Raina to win the doubles title with a convincing 6-2, 6-2 victory over Soha Sadiq and Akanksha Nitture.
RISE OF VAISHNAVI ADKAR
Born on December 14, 2004, Vaishnavi is considered one of the country’s brightest young prospects. Coached by Kedar Shah at the Bounce Tennis Academy, she started playing at the age of seven and climbed the ITF Junior Rankings to No. 115 while becoming India’s No. 1 under-14 player.
In 2024, she won her first professional singles title at the ITF W15 Ahmedabad where she also won the doubles crown. Her breakthrough came in 2025 when she won bronze in women’s singles at the World University Summer Games in Germany, becoming the first Indian woman to win a medal in tennis at the tournament.
Vaishnavi has shown her potential to make a lasting impact on the international circuit with her performances in Bengaluru and Kalaburagi.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
16 Mar 2026 21:07 IST
