Fresh off clinching the ITF W35 Kalaburagi title on Sunday, capping off a remarkable run in Karnataka that also saw her finish runner-up at the KPB Trust ITF Women’s Open W100 Bengaluru in February, India’s Vaishnavi Adkar credited the guidance of two-time Grand Slam champion Rohan Bopanna for her improved performances.

“We spoke about a few things and that made me realise that the move could be the right one for me. Having someone with that level of experience, someone who has been world number one and competed at the highest level for so many years, is really valuable. Getting inputs from him and learning from that experience, along with working with the team at the academy, has been very helpful for me as I look to improve and move forward in my career.” 

Adkar also expressed her gratitude to the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA) for granting her a wildcard at the KPB Trust ITF Women’s Open W100 Bengaluru 2026 where she became the first Indian woman to reach the final of a W100 or higher-level tournament since Sania Mirza in 2009. That result propelled her ranking from No. 690 in the rankings to a career-best of No. 466 and she is projected to break into the top 400 next week after the points from her title run in Kalaburagi get added to her tally. 

“I’m really grateful to KSLTA for giving me the wildcard opportunities. I wasn’t really expecting it, so it meant a lot that they showed that belief in me. I’m happy that I was able to make the most of the opportunity and it really helped my ranking as well.”

Adkar has also been named in India’s squad for the upcoming Billie Jean King Cup Asia-Oceania tournament, set to be held next month in New Delhi. 

“Tennis is mostly an individual sport, so getting the chance to be part of a team event like the Billie Jean King Cup and representing India is very special. I’m really looking forward to it and I hope I can contribute to the team in whatever way possible.” 

In recent months, Adkar has placed particular emphasis on refining key aspects of her game. 

“Two of the main things we have been working on are the serve and the return because those are the shots that start every point. At the same time, the physical aspect of the game has become very important in modern tennis, so I’ve been focusing a lot on improving that as well.” 

Equally important, she says, has been a shift in her approach to the game. 

“This year I told myself that I just want to enjoy playing more and have fun on court, because that’s the reason I started playing this sport in the first place. When I was able to play with that mindset and not put too much pressure on myself, the results started coming.” 

Throughout her formative years, she credits her parents for allowing her the freedom to pursue the sport without pressure. 

“My parents have been supportive throughout. Even when the results weren’t coming early on, they never put any pressure on me. They always told me that as long as I was enjoying what I was doing, that was the most important thing.” 

A major setback arrived during her junior career when an injury temporarily halted her momentum. 

“I had an ACL tear right after winning my first ITF juniors title. It happened the very next week in another tournament. I had to undergo surgery and was out for about eight months, and that was a very tough period mentally because it came at a time when I needed to keep earning points and progressing.” 

However, Adkar believes the recovery period ultimately helped her return stronger. 

“Coming back from surgery is always difficult psychologically because that fear is there. But during my recovery we worked a lot on my strength and fitness, and when I returned to competition, I was physically stronger than before. In a way it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.”