Vaishnavi Adkar, 17-Year-Old Maaya Rajeshwaran Script Stunning Comebacks for Maiden WTA 250 Wins at Chennai Open

India's No. 1 Vaishnavi Adkar defeats Jodie Burrage, while teenager Maaya Rajeshwaran upsets eighth seed Katarzyna Kawa as both Indians survive deciding-set comebacks at the Chennai Open 2026.

Indian women's tennis witnessed a memorable day at the Chennai Open International Women's Tennis Championships 2026 as Vaishnavi Adkar and 17-year-old Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi produced outstanding fighting performances to register their maiden main-draw victories at the WTA 250 level.

Both Indian wild-card entrants faced challenging three-set encounters at the SDAT Tennis Stadium on Tuesday, but what made their victories particularly impressive was the manner in which they recovered from difficult positions in the deciding set.

India's No. 1 singles player Vaishnavi defeated Great Britain's Jodie Burrage 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in a contest lasting two hours and 46 minutes. Meanwhile, 17-year-old Maaya, ranked 665 in the world, delivered one of the biggest results of the day by defeating eighth seed and World No. 115 Katarzyna Kawa of Poland 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(5).

For Indian tennis, the victories represented an important opportunity for two players at different stages of their careers to make their mark on the international circuit.

Vaishnavi made the most of her wild-card entry, overcoming a difficult opening set to register a significant victory against Burrage. The Briton took the first set 6-3, putting the Indian under pressure early in the contest. However, Vaishnavi responded well in the second set, improving her game to secure a 6-3 win and force a decider.

The third set turned into a test of temperament.

Vaishnavi initially established control, moving ahead 3-1, but Burrage fought back strongly to take a 5-3 lead. With the British player serving for the match, the Indian faced the prospect of an early exit.

Instead, she produced her best tennis at the most important moment. A forehand down the line helped Vaishnavi earn a crucial break and bring the score back to 5-5. She then maintained her composure in the closing games to complete the comeback and secure a 7-5 victory in the deciding set.

"It was a tough match. I just tried to give my all on every point, and it worked pretty well for me," Vaishnavi said after the match. Explaining how she recovered after losing the opening set and falling behind in the decider, she said:

"I told myself to take it one point at a time. The first set was shaky, and I wasn't feeling that great. Later, I started thinking I had nothing to lose and became more confident in my game. I started believing I could match her level and going for my shots. That was the turning point."

Burrage appeared to struggle physically in the hot and humid Chennai conditions and took a medical timeout during the match.

Vaishnavi acknowledged that the interruption provided both players with an opportunity to recover and allowed her to consult her coaches. After an exhausting contest lasting nearly three hours, her immediate priority was recovery ahead of the next round.

17-Year-Old Maaya Rajeshwaran Stuns Eighth Seed

If Vaishnavi's victory demonstrated experience and resilience, Maaya's performance was a statement of the potential emerging in Indian women's tennis. The 17-year-old entered the tournament ranked 665 in the world and faced a considerably higher-ranked opponent in Poland's Katarzyna Kawa, the eighth seed and World No. 115.

Maaya started confidently, taking advantage of Kawa's slow start to claim the opening set 6-4.

However, the Polish player responded in the second set, raising her consistency and winning it 6-2 to take the match into a deciding set. Kawa appeared to have the contest under control when she established a 5-2 advantage in the third set. Maaya began making errors, while the experienced Polish player moved closer to closing out the match.

But the teenager refused to give up.

She capitalised on Kawa's dip in momentum to break serve and reduce the deficit before holding her own serve to level the set at 5-5. Both players subsequently held serve, forcing the match into a deciding tie-break.

Maaya carried her renewed confidence into the tie-break, moving ahead 4-2 and then 5-2. She maintained her composure to close it out 7-5, sealing a memorable victory with a superb backhand down the line.

The result marked her maiden WTA 250 main-draw victory and a significant milestone in her young career. Following the match, Maaya acknowledged the contribution of her coaches and support team, highlighting their role in helping her win matches.

Chennai Open Sees Competitive Opening Day

The main draw finally got underway on Tuesday after persistent rainfall washed out Monday's scheduled matches. Apart from the two Indian victories, the opening day witnessed several notable results.

American Robin Montgomery defeated fourth seed Panna Udvardy of Hungary 6-4, 1-6, 6-1, while Belgium's Jeline Vandromme defeated Japanese qualifier Kyoka Okamura 7-5, 6-1. Taiwan's Joanna Garland defeated Switzerland's Jil Teichmann 6-3, 6-4, while Japan's Moyuka Uchijima secured a convincing 6-3, 6-2 victory over Rebecca Sramkova.

Top seed Janice Tjen of Indonesia began her campaign with a comfortable 6-1, 6-2 win against American wild card Katherine Hui. Third seed Magda Linette also progressed after defeating qualifier Aliona Falei in three sets.

The Chennai Open carries a total prize purse of US$283,347 and will continue at the SDAT Tennis Stadium until November 8.

The victories of Vaishnavi and Maaya offer two encouraging stories for Indian tennis. For Vaishnavi, the win reinforces her position as India's leading women's singles player and provides valuable confidence against international opposition.

For Maaya, defeating a top-120 opponent at just 17 represents a breakthrough moment and an opportunity to gain experience at a higher level of professional tennis. Both players demonstrated an important quality: the ability to remain competitive when the match appeared to be slipping away.

Coming back from 3-5 deficits in deciding sets requires not just technical ability but also considerable mental resilience. With two Indian players beginning their Chennai Open campaigns with memorable victories, the home crowd has plenty of reasons to remain invested in the tournament.

The challenge now will be to build on these performances and translate promising opening-round results into deeper runs at the WTA 250 level.