Vaishnavi Adkar Credits Rohan Bopanna for Breakthrough Run at ITF W35 Kalaburagi

Kalaburagi — Indian tennis player Vaishnavi Adkar has credited veteran star Rohan Bopanna for playing a key role in her recent success after she clinched the title at the ITF W35 Kalaburagi tournament.

The young player capped an impressive run in Karnataka, which also included finishing runner-up at the ITF Women’s Open W100 Bengaluru earlier in February. Adkar said the guidance and insights from Bopanna, a Grand Slam champion and former world No.1 in doubles, have helped her elevate her game.

“We spoke about a few things and that made me realise the move could be right for me. Having someone with that level of experience, who has competed at the highest level for so many years, is extremely valuable,” she said. “Getting inputs from him and working with the team at the academy has really helped me improve.”

Adkar also expressed gratitude to the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association for awarding her a wildcard entry into the W100 event in Bengaluru. Making the most of the opportunity, she became the first Indian woman since Sania Mirza in 2009 to reach the final of a W100 or higher-level tournament.

Her strong performances boosted her ranking from No. 690 to a career-best No. 466 in the world. With points from the Kalaburagi victory yet to be added, she is expected to break into the top 400 in the upcoming rankings.

Adkar has also been selected to represent India at the Billie Jean King Cup Asia-Oceania tournament, which will be held next month in New Delhi.

“Tennis is mostly an individual sport, so getting the chance to represent India in a team event like the Billie Jean King Cup is very special. I’m really looking forward to it and hope I can contribute to the team,” she said.

In recent months, Adkar has focused on sharpening key aspects of her game, particularly her serve and return. She noted that physical conditioning has also become a major priority in modern tennis.

“Serve and return are the two shots that start every point, so we’ve been working a lot on those. At the same time, the physical side of the game has become very important, so I’ve been putting a lot of effort into improving my fitness,” she explained.

The player also revealed that a shift in mindset has played a significant role in her improved results.

“This year I told myself I just want to enjoy playing and have fun on court, because that’s why I started tennis in the first place. Once I started playing with that mindset and without too much pressure, the results began to come.”

Adkar credited her parents for supporting her journey without placing pressure on her during difficult phases.

“My parents have always supported me. Even when results weren’t coming early on, they never pressured me. They always told me that enjoying the sport was the most important thing.”

Her junior career had once been derailed by a major injury when she suffered an ACL tear shortly after winning her first ITF juniors title. The injury required surgery and forced her to stay away from the sport for about eight months.

“It was a tough time mentally because it came just when I needed to keep earning points,” she said. “But during recovery we worked a lot on my strength and fitness, and when I came back, I was physically stronger. In a way, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.”

With inputs from IANS