Mumbai, Jan 29 : Homegrown talent and Maharashtraâ??s No.1 womenâ??s singles player, Vaishnavi Adkar, has been given a wildcard into the main draw at the upcoming Mumbai Open WTA 125K Series, which will be held at the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) in Mumbai. The qualifiers will be held on January 31 and February 1, followed by the main draw, which is scheduled from February 2 to 8.

At just 21, Vaishnavi Adkar has proven herself as the No.1 womenâ??s singles player of her state and has impressive wins under her belt. She claimed her maiden ITF Pro Singles title at the W15 Womenâ??s Tennis Championship in Ahmedabad in 2024. She cemented her reputation as a promising young athlete when she won the bronze medal at the World University Tennis Championship in Germany last year, also becoming the first-ever Indian woman to do so.

Hailing from Pune, Maharashtra, the Mumbai Open is set to be a special experience for Vaishnavi Adkar as she looks to impress her local crowd. She stated, â??Itâ??s really enjoyable to play in front of my home fans. The energy is unmatched, and the atmosphere is always positive and encouraging. When you hear people cheering for you, it gives you that extra boost, especially in tight moments. I feel proud to play in Maharashtra and represent India, and Iâ??m really thankful to everyone who comes out to support us. I aim to channelise this energy and maximise my performance in the upcoming Mumbai Open.â??

She went on to thank the MSLTA and Mumbai Open for giving her the platform to face elite competition when she said, â??Personally, my rank is not high enough to get into the WTA events directly. So having the Mumbai Open here in Maharashtra really helps to get the exposure that I need against the higher-ranked players, and for this, I would really like to thank MSLTA, President Prashant Sutar, and Hon Secretary Sunder Iyer.â??

Looking ahead at the upcoming tournament, Vaishnavi Adkar shared, â??I want to focus on a few important aspects like my serve and controlling the baseline. This tournament is going to help me observe and better understand what the higher-ranked players are doing differently, as I hope to pick up a few lessons and improve my game, and in the process, make the most out of the opportunity that Iâ??ve been given.â??

/IANS