^{(Photo: Mano, Hiromasa / Kyoto Tennis Association)}
Kyoto, Japan – March 10, 2026: India No. 1 Sahaja Yamalapalli displayed grit and determination to fight her way into the main draw of the ITF W60 Kyoto tournament, overcoming an opening set deficit to get past Japan’s Yuki Naito 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 in the qualifying final on Tuesday.

After enduring a setback in the opening set, Yamalapalli (WTA 393) raised her level in the second, breaking early and taking control with aggressive groundstrokes. The Indian maintained her momentum in the decider, finding consistent depth and precision to close out the set 6-1 against Naito (WTA 488).

First Round Challenge

Yamalapalli now meets Cyprus’s Raluca Georgiana Serban (WTA 248) in the opening round—a player with a career-high ranking of 152 achieved in 2023. The gap in rankings sets up an uphill task, but the Indian will be confident after her qualifying form.

The $60,000 hard court event offers valuable ranking points as Yamalapalli looks to build on this breakthrough and continue her climb up the ladder.

Match Summary:

• Event: ITF W60 Kyoto (Qualifying Final)
• Result: Sahaja Yamalapalli (IND, WTA 393) def. Yuki Naito (JPN, WTA 488) 3-6, 6-2, 6-1
• Next Match: vs. Raluca Georgiana Serban (CYP, WTA 248, CH 152) – Round 1