Cricket continues to dominate India’s sporting landscape, but over the past decade, a steady and significant rise in the popularity of other sports has been unmistakable. Indian Tennis, in particular, has emerged as one of the fastest-growing disciplines in the country.
The legacy of trailblazers such as Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza laid the foundation, and in recent years, a new generation of Indian women tennis players has begun to carve out its own space on the international circuit. While established names like Ankita Raina have served as important role models, the next wave is defined by players who combine technical sharpness with mental resilience.
They are still in the process of establishing themselves, but their performances against quality opposition suggest that a breakthrough year may not be far away. As the 2026 season unfolds, these five Indian women are well placed to attract attention and push Indian tennis forward.
Vaidehi Chaudhari: Vaidehi Chaudhari has quietly built one of the most consistent domestic and ITF-level resumes among Indian women in recent seasons. The 25-year-old reached a career-high singles ranking of 355 in May 2025 and, despite a current ranking of 485, her upward trajectory remains evident.
December 2025 proved particularly productive. Vaidehi reached the doubles final of the ITF W35 Delhi event alongside Zeel Desai, where the Indian pair went down to Hiroko Kuwata and Ekaterina Yashina. In singles, however, she made a deeper impact, defeating Japan’s Michika Ozeki in a hard-fought final. That momentum carried into the ITF W35 Solapur, where she beat strong opponents such as Maria Kalyakina and Ksenia Efremova before once again overcoming Ozeki in the final.
At the ITF W15 Ahmedabad, Vaidehi’s consistency stood out. Wins over seventh seed Honoka Kobayashi and Mana Kawamura took her to the final, where she eventually lost to Maria Golovina. Technically, Vaidehi is fluent off both wings, particularly from the baseline, and her serve has developed into a genuine weapon. With the volume of matches she is playing and the consistency she is showing, 2026 could mark her transition into a regular challenger-level contender.
Sahaja Yamalapalli: Sahaja Yamalapalli enters 2026 as India’s top-ranked women’s singles player, with a career-high ranking of 344 and a current position of 378. The 24-year-old from Hyderabad has already produced several defining moments that underline her potential to compete at higher levels.
Her victory over former US Open champion Sloane Stephens at the WTA 125 event in Tampico in 2025 remains a landmark result, highlighting her ability to match elite players tactically and physically. She also reached the second round of the Chennai WTA Open and featured for India in the Billie Jean King Cup, where her court awareness and composure stood out.
Sahaja’s game is built around powerful groundstrokes, a particularly strong backhand, and excellent balance at the net. She adapts well to different surfaces and has shown an impressive understanding of shot selection. With four ITF singles titles and a growing presence at WTA-level events, Sahaja appears well positioned to take another step forward in 2026, especially after reaching the second round of the W75 Nonthaburi event in January.
Vaishnavi Adkar: Fearlessness defines Vaishnavi Adkar’s approach to the game. At just 21, she has already created history by becoming the first Indian woman to win a bronze medal in tennis at the World University Games, defeating Germany’s Sina Herrmann in the quarterfinals in 2025. She is only the second Indian overall to medal in the event, following Nandan Bal’s silver in 1979.
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Vaishnavi also claimed the ITF W15 Ahmedabad title in 2024 in both singles and doubles, partnering Pooja Ingale. Currently ranked 682, her ranking does not yet reflect her competitive edge. She is particularly comfortable on hard courts, where her two-handed backhand and sharp anticipation allow her to disrupt opponents’ rhythm. Her ability to mix drop shots with baseline aggression makes her a difficult player to read, and with increased exposure, she could climb rapidly through the rankings.
Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi: One of the most exciting prospects in Indian tennis, 16-year-old Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi has already shown that age is no barrier to competing at a high level. Known for her exceptional speed and court coverage, the Tamil Nadu teenager combines quick footwork with clean, powerful groundstrokes. At the age of 13, she began playing in ITFs and also won 2 ITFs, registering her name in the top 60 at the junior level, which is an incredible record for a player who has just started.
Her run to the semifinals of the 2025 WTA 125 Mumbai Open was a breakthrough moment. Along the way, she defeated experienced players such as Zarina Diyas, Mie Yamaguchi and Iryna Shymanovich, becoming the first player born in 2009 to reach the semifinals of a tournament at that level. Training at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain, Revathi currently holds a ranking of 642, but her ceiling appears significantly higher. With time on her side, 2026 could be a year of consolidation before a bigger leap.
Revathi has registered some impressive wins in the doubles category in the past couple of years, including in ITF Seremban and ITF Perak (both in Malaysia) in October 2023, partnering Rishitha Reddy Basireddy, while she registered a win at ITF Zapopan, Mexico, partnering Serbian Petra Konjikusic in November 2024.
She is excited to play in the upcoming Australian Open in the Junior Category. She has played in 8 tournaments in the last 3 months (4 Juniors and 4 Seniors). Maaya feels alongside established players will help her gain experience and refine her physical strength and her temperament.
Shrivalli Rashmikaa Bhamidipaty: Shrivalli Rashmikaa Bhamidipaty has steadily emerged as one of India’s most reliable performers in team events and ITF tournaments. Ranked 447, the 24-year-old impressed in 2025 by winning all five of her matches for India in the Billie Jean King Cup Asia/Oceania Group I ties at the Balewadi Sports Complex, Pune. She managed to beat some of the best performers like Aishi Das of New Zealand, Joanna Garland of Chinese Taipei, Thailand’s Lanlana Tararudee, South Korean Sohyun Park, among others, which underlined her talent to beat some of the best performers with her speed and strategic stroke play.
Shrivalli won the Solapur Open ITF women’s tournament in December 2024, beating Thailand’s Thamchaiwat B in the final. Winning the Fenesta Open National Tennis Championship in 2023 was another creditable achievement. She also won the Bowring Institute ITF Women’s World Tennis Championships in Bengaluru in 2023, which showcased her strengths as a clever baseline operator alongside her ability to outplay her opponents through unorthodox backhands. Indian Tennis Daily announced Shrivalli as a performer of the week in November 2025.
Her game is built on quick footwork, balance, and the ability to hit through the court from both wings. Shrivalli’s anticipation at the net and her use of drop shots add an extra dimension to her play, while her forehand remains effective across surfaces. With growing confidence in pressure situations, she could be one of India’s most consistent performers in 2026.
In December 2025, she partnered with Ankita Raina in the W100 Dubai in the doubles event and together the duo produced an impressive performance, making it to the semi-finals of the tournament, where they lost to the Russian pair Rada Zolotareva and Vera Zvonareva 6-3, 5-7, 3-10.
Her anticipation during net play is amazing, where she often executes drop shots to surprise the opponents. Her forehands are equally penetrative on grass as well as hard courts. She is training under former Davis Cup player Vishal Uppal, who can help her refine her skills, as well as under Anand Kumar. She is assisted by Lakshya Sports Edelgive Foundation as well as the Phoenix group.
These five players represent different stages of development but all share the technical quality and mental strength required to succeed at higher levels. While they are still establishing themselves, their recent performances suggest that 2026 could be a defining year for Indian women’s tennis one where promise begins to translate into sustained international success.
