Indian tennis has a new rising star in 21-year-old Vaishnavi Adkar, who produced an exceptional performance at the ITF Women’s Open W100 Bengaluru, grabbing headlines and reviving hope for Indian women’s singles on the global stage.
Adkar, who entered the tournament as world No. 690 with a wild card, produced a stunning series of performances to reach her first W100 final – the first time an Indian woman had done so since Sania Mirza in 2009.
After her performance, Vaishnavi Adkar climbed 224 places to world No. 466, making her WTA top 500 debut. She climbed from India’s seventh player to India’s No. 2, while Sahaja Yamalpalli continues to lead as India’s top player, moving up 19 places to No. 397 in the world.
Adkar’s run was defined by victories over several higher-ranked opponents. In the round of 16, she stunned Japan’s 220th Mai Hontama 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 in a thrilling match that lasted one hour and 33 minutes. She then defeated Australian world No. 148 Taylah Preston 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 in another enthralling battle lasting one hour and 33 minutes. She followed that up by defeating Thailand’s world 126 Lanlana Tararudee 63, 63 to reach the final.
In the final, Belgium’s Hanne Vandewinkel proved too strong, defeating Adkar 6-0, 6-1 in a one-sided match. Despite the loss, the second seed gained valuable WTA ranking points and cemented her entry into the top 500 of the world.
This remarkable run came after a tough start to the season, including a first-round exit at the WTA125 Mumbai Open. This early setback seemed to fuel her determination and allowed her to regroup and find a rhythm on the ITF circuit. Vaishnavi Adkar’s journey in Bengaluru shows her skill, resilience and potential to become a regular competitor on the world tennis stage.
India in the WTA singles rankings
Courtesy: WTA
WHO IS VAISHNAVI ADKAR?
Vaishnavi Adkar, born 14 December 2004, is an emerging Indian professional tennis player from Pune who is making significant strides on the international stage. Trained under coach Kedar Shah at the Bounce Tennis Academy and mentored by experienced players, she is widely regarded as one of India’s most promising young talents, combining solid technique with growing tactical maturity.
Adkar reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 581 in July 2025, breaking into the top 500 after her remarkable run at the Bengaluru W100 tournament. She also maintains a doubles ranking of No. 414, demonstrating her versatility across formats.
She started playing tennis at the age of seven and quickly progressed through the junior ranks, reaching a peak junior ITF ranking of No. 115 and maintaining her position as India’s No. 1 under-14 player. In 2024, she won both the singles and doubles titles at the ITF W15 tournament in Ahmedabad, earning her first professional singles crown.
Her breakthrough on the international stage came in July 2025 at the Summer World University Games in Germany, where she made history by winning the bronze medal in the women’s singles. She became the first Indian woman to win a medal in tennis at the World University Games, ending a 46-year medal drought since Nandan Bal’s silver in 1979.
In Bengaluru, Adkar achieved another career milestone by becoming the first Indian woman in 17 years to reach the final of an ITF W100 tournament.
With these significant achievements already to her name, Vaishnavi is firmly positioned as part of the next generation of Indian women’s tennis stars with the potential to make a lasting impact on the international circuit.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
February 23, 2026
