For nearly two decades, Indian women’s tennis has been searching for its next consistent singles star. After the trailblazing success of Sania Mirza, who rose to World No 27 and became one of the country’s most celebrated athletes, only a handful of players have managed to make significant breakthroughs on the international stage. Names such as Ankita Raina, Karman Thandi and Rutuja Bhosale have carried the torch in recent years, but the challenge of consistently competing at the highest level remains the same.
Now, 21-year-old Vaishnavi Adkar is steadily building a promising career of her own. Having climbed the rankings and established herself as one of India’s leading women’s singles players, Adkar has set her sights on a clearly defined target. “My next goal is to get into the top 200,” says the World No 374, who is currently training at Rohan Bopanna Tennis Academy in Bengaluru. Notably, in a four-month period, she has climbed 321 spots in singles from the previous 695.
While the immediate objective is a place among the top 200, her long-term vision stretches further still. Beyond that, her ambitions are even bigger – earning entry into Grand Slam tournaments and their qualifying events. Adkar also reveals that the groundwork for a potential campaign towards the 2028 Olympic Games has already begun.
The journey has been anything but straightforward. Adkar recalls struggling for results in her formative years. “Initially, when I started playing junior tournaments, I didn’t get a lot of wins. I wasn’t even able to go past the quarterfinals in the U-10 and U-12 categories. But when I started travelling more towards the end of the U-12 phase, I began winning more matches. Playing regularly gave me confidence,” she says.
Throughout the journey, her family has remained her strongest pillar. Growing up in a joint family, Adkar benefited from constant encouragement, particularly from her parents. It was her mother who first introduced her to the sport, setting her on a path that would eventually lead to the professional circuit. A recent four-week training and competition stint in Europe further accelerated her development. “Playing against top-ranked opponents helped me analyse my game. It taught me the importance of patience, discipline and tactical adaptability,” Adkar says.
A key figure in her development has been coach Balachandran Manikkath. Adkar credits him with understanding her game and helping refine the tools required to compete at major games. Her playing style reflects the aggressive brand of tennis that dominates the modern women’s game. Naturally an attacking baseliner, Adkar likes to dictate rallies with powerful groundstrokes and take control of points from the outset. The ability to strike the ball with pace and authority has become one of the defining features of her game.
Yet, her European experience also highlighted the need for greater versatility. Facing opponents capable of absorbing pace and consistently returning deep balls made her realise that aggression alone would not be enough. The Pune-based tennis player shares, “I am trying to add some new layers to my defensive approach, fitness, serve and variations. I need to bring changes to my game. Being aggressive on the court comes naturally to me. I enjoy hitting the ball hard and playing with intensity. However, over time, I’ve realised that this approach doesn’t always work in every situation. The top-ranked players are able to adapt to different circumstances while maintaining their intensity throughout the match. I believe that every great player must also be a strong defender. That’s an area I’m actively working on.”
Adkar places considerable emphasis on staying present during matches and committing to predetermined goals rather than becoming distracted by score lines or external expectations. It is a mindset she believes has played a key role in her recent progress. Asked which qualities she would borrow from the world’s best players, her answer offered an insight into the standards she aspires to – the power of Aryna Sabalenka, the movement of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, and the mentality and footwork of Novak Djokovic.