Indian women’s tennis enjoyed one of its most encouraging weeks of the season at the ITF W35 Solapur, where depth, resilience, and growing maturity were on full display. At the heart of it all was Vaidehee Chaudhari, who produced a composed, comeback-filled run to lift the singles title, while Vaishnavi Adkar’s breakthrough performances ensured India’s strong presence deep into championship weekend.
Seeded sixth and ranked WTA 639, Chaudhari arrived in Solapur without much external noise but quietly confident in her preparation. Over the course of the week, she built momentum round by round, showcasing not just technical solidity but an increasingly refined ability to manage pressure an area that often separates good ITF players from consistent title contenders.
Her campaign began with a commanding opening-round performance against fellow Indian Soha Sadiq. Chaudhari controlled the match from the first game, dictating play off both wings and keeping errors to a minimum. The 6–1, 6–1 scoreline reflected her dominance and allowed her to settle into tournament conditions early, conserving energy for tougher tests ahead.
That test arrived in the second round against Maria Kalyakina (WTA 808). Chaudhari dropped the opening set 3–6, struggling initially to counter Kalyakina’s depth and variation. Instead of forcing the issue, she recalibrated intelligently stepping inside the baseline, shortening points, and applying pressure on second serves. The shift turned the match. Chaudhari took the second set 6–2 and then held firm in a tense decider to win 7–5, recording her first comeback of the week and underlining her growing tactical awareness.
The quarterfinal against Ksenia Efremova of France, the World Junior No. 9 and one of the circuit’s most talked-about prospects, proved to be the defining match of the tournament. Efremova’s early aggression earned her the opening set 6–4, and when she moved ahead 5–3 in the final set, the contest seemed to be slipping away from Chaudhari.
What followed was a striking display of mental resilience. Chaudhari absorbed pace, trusted her patterns, and waited for openings rather than forcing winners. From 3–5 down, she reeled off four straight games to close out a dramatic 4–6, 6–4, 7–5 victory. It was a win that resonated beyond Solapur, highlighting her ability to compete with elite junior and senior-level talent alike.
The semifinals produced an anticipated all-India clash, as Chaudhari faced Vaishnavi Adkar, the eighth seed ranked WTA 691. Adkar had been one of the standout performers of the week, and the matchup carried significance for Indian tennis regardless of the outcome.
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The opening set was tightly contested, featuring long rallies and frequent momentum swings. Chaudhari edged it 6–4, and that breakthrough proved decisive. Once ahead, she tightened her baseline control and began dictating exchanges with depth and consistency. The second set tilted firmly in her favour, as she surged to a 5–0 lead before closing out the match 6–4, 6–2.
While Adkar fell in the semifinals, her tournament deserved equal recognition. Her quarterfinal win over Golovina (WTA 671) was one of the most clutch performances of the event. After winning the first set 6–2 and losing the second 3–6, Adkar produced a flawless deciding-set tiebreak, winning it 7–0. The performance not only showcased her composure under pressure but also guaranteed India a place in the singles final, regardless of the semifinal result.
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The final itself encapsulated Chaudhari’s week perfectly. Facing Japan’s Michika Ozeki, she once again found herself trailing after losing the first set 3–6. As she had done all week, Chaudhari remained patient. She raised her rally tolerance, improved her service efficiency, and began to take control of key moments. The response was emphatic, as she claimed the next two sets 6–3, 6–4 to lift the ITF W35 Solapur singles title, her first ITF crown of 2025.
In total, Chaudhari came back from a set down three times during the week in the second round, quarterfinal, and final making this title as much a triumph of mental strength as of technical execution. Across varied opponents and playing styles, she showed adaptability, belief, and the ability to close out big matches. For Indian tennis, the week in Solapur carried broader significance. Chaudhari’s title run, combined with Adkar’s breakthrough performances, pointed to growing depth and competitive maturity in the women’s game.
As the season draws to a close, Solapur stands out not just as a successful tournament, but as a marker of momentum evidence that Indian women are increasingly ready to compete, adapt, and win consistently on the international ITF circuit.
