Vaishnavi Adkar finishes runner-up at ITF W100 Bengaluru

Wildcard Vaishnavi Adkar finished runner-up at the KPB Trust ITF Women’s Open W100 Bengaluru 2026 after a 0-6, 1-6 loss to Belgium’s Hanne Vandewinkel in the final on Sunday.

The third-seeded Vandewinkel, ranked World No. 124, delivered a commanding performance to clinch the title in just over an hour. She broke Adkar in the opening game and raced to a 6-0 first set, maintaining consistent depth from the baseline and capitalising on unforced errors.

In the second set, Vandewinkel secured another early break to stay in control. Adkar showed resilience by holding serve and earning three break points in the fourth game, but the Belgian saved them all and extended her lead. Vandewinkel converted her second match point to seal a straight-sets victory and earn 100 WTA ranking points along with USD 15,239 in prize money.

Historic run for Adkar

Despite the one-sided scoreline, the 21-year-old from Pune capped a breakthrough week. Ranked World No. 690 entering the tournament, Adkar became the first Indian woman since Sania Mirza to reach a major ITF Women's singles final. Her run included wins over higher-ranked opponents and is expected to propel her into the top 500 of the WTA rankings for the first time.

Adkar earned 65 ranking points and USD 8,147 for her runner-up finish. Reflecting on the week, she described it as a confidence-building experience after a challenging season, while Vandewinkel noted she was focused from the outset to prevent the Indian from gaining momentum.

Though the title eluded her, Adkar’s performance in Bengaluru marks a significant milestone in Indian women’s tennis.