Tournament organisers of the Chennai Open WTA 250 International Women’s Tennis Championships 2026 have allotted all 4 singles main draw wild cards, awarding home berths to 21-year-old Vaishnavi Adkar (IND, 365), 25-year-old Sahaja Yamalapalli (IND, 378), and 17-year-old Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi (IND, 726), alongside 21-year-old 2023 US Open junior champion Katherine Hui (USA, 1115) for the November 2 to 8 hard-court event at the SDAT Tennis Stadium in Nungambakkam.
- Tournament Dates & Venue: November 2 to November 8, 2026 · SDAT Tennis Stadium, Nungambakkam, Chennai (Outdoor Hard).
- Category, Draw & Prize Money: WTA 250 · 32-player singles draw & 16-team doubles draw · USD 283,347 total financial commitment.
- Indian Main Draw Wild Cards (3): Vaishnavi Adkar (IND, 365), Sahaja Yamalapalli (IND, 378), and Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi (IND, 726).
- International Main Draw Wild Card (1): Katherine Hui (USA, 1115), winner of the 2023 US Open Girls’ Singles title.
With Wednesday’s announcement in Chennai, all 4 singles main draw wild card entries have been finalised ahead of the 3rd WTA 250 edition at Nungambakkam. The selection hands direct entry into the 32-player draw to India’s top 2 singles players and the country’s fastest-rising teenager without requiring them to navigate next weekend’s qualifying rounds.
“I am confident that Vaishnavi, Sahaja and Maaya will use the home conditions to do well in the prestigious WTA 250 event.”
3 home contenders and a Grand Slam junior champion complete the slate
Vaishnavi Adkar (Age 21)
India’s No. 1 women’s singles player returns to Nungambakkam after qualifying for the 2025 Chennai Open main draw when ranked 332 and reaching last week’s ITF W35 Monastir final.
Sahaja Yamalapalli (Age 25)
India’s No. 2 singles player capitalised on her home berth at the 2025 Chennai Open when ranked 368, recording a straight-set opening-round win on her 25th birthday to reach the Round of 16.
Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi (Age 17)
The Tamil Nadu teenager arrives in career-best pro form after sweeping the singles and doubles titles at ITF W35 Lagos in Portugal earlier in October to become the youngest Indian woman to win a W35 singles crown.
Katherine Hui (Age 21)
The Stanford standout captured the 2023 US Open Girls’ Singles title in New York without dropping a set and claims the 4th and final main draw wild card into the 32-player field.
Adkar (IND, 365) reclaimed the Indian women’s No. 1 singles spot on Monday after finishing runner-up at ITF W35 Monastir, while Revathi (IND, 726) vaulted 347 places on the back of her historic double-title run in Lagos. Yamalapalli (IND, 378), who will turn 26 days before main draw play begins, gives India 2 top-400 singles players directly inside the main draw.
| Slot | Player | Entry Status | 2025 Chennai Open & Recent Highlight |
|---|---|---|---|
| WC 1 | Vaishnavi Adkar IND · 365 | Main Draw WC | Qualified for 2025 main draw (ranked 332); Oct 2026 W35 Monastir finalist |
| WC 2 | Sahaja Yamalapalli IND · 378 | Main Draw WC | Reached 2025 singles R16 (ranked 368) with straight-set R32 victory |
| WC 3 | Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi IND · 726 | Main Draw WC | Won Oct 2026 ITF W35 Lagos singles & doubles titles at age 17 |
| WC 4 | Katherine Hui USA · 1115 | Main Draw WC | 2023 US Open Girls’ Singles champion; age 21 |
Top-85 seeded lineup led by defending champion Janice Tjen
Janice Tjen leads top-85 seeds
2025 Chennai singles and doubles champion Janice Tjen (INA, 46) headlines an all-top-85 seeded octet closed out by 8th seed Mananchaya Sawangkaew (THA, 84).
3-time Slam quarterfinalist & semifinalists
4th seed Yulia Putintseva (KAZ, 66), 2022 Wimbledon semifinalist 5th seed Tatjana Maria (GER, 69), and 2023 Australian Open semifinalist 6th seed Magda Linette (POL, 77) anchor the field.
High-stakes home showcase
With the WTA 250 license slated to move to Manila in 2027 while TNTA works toward multi-city WTA 125 events from 2028, November’s week carries added significance.
| Seed | Player | Tour Highlight |
|---|---|---|
| 1st seed | Janice Tjen INA · 46 | Defending 2025 Chennai Open singles & doubles champion |
| 2nd seed | Lanlana Tararudee THA · 53 | Thai No. 1 making top-2 WTA 250 seed appearance |
| 3rd seed | Lilli Tagger AUT · 57 | 18-year-old Austrian surging inside top 60 |
| 4th seed | Yulia Putintseva KAZ · 66 | 3-time Grand Slam singles quarterfinalist & 3-time tour titlist |
| 5th seed | Tatjana Maria GER · 69 | 2022 Wimbledon singles semifinalist & 4-time tour champion |
| 6th seed | Magda Linette POL · 77 | 2023 Australian Open singles semifinalist & 3-time tour champion |
| 7th seed | Panna Udvardy HUN · 83 | Hungarian top-85 regular returning to outdoor hard courts |
| 8th seed | Mananchaya Sawangkaew THA · 84 | Gives Thailand 2 seeded entrants in the 32-player draw |