Organisers of the 2026 WTA 250 Chennai Open have awarded singles qualifying wild cards to 24-year-old Shrivalli Bhamidipaty (IND, 623) and 17-year-old Tamil Nadu player Diya Ramesh (IND, UNR) ahead of this weekend’s qualifying rounds at the SDAT Tennis Stadium in Nungambakkam, taking India’s singles contingent across the main draw and qualifying to 5 players.
- Qualifying Wild Cards (2): Shrivalli Bhamidipaty (IND, 623) and Diya Ramesh (IND, UNR).
- Main Draw Indian Wild Cards (3): Vaishnavi Adkar (IND, 334), Sahaja Yamalapalli (IND, 369), and Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi (IND, 716), joined by 2023 US Open junior champion Katherine Hui (USA, 1102).
- Qualifying Schedule & Spectator Access: Saturday, October 31 from 3:00 PM IST onwards and Sunday, November 1 from 4:00 PM IST onwards at SDAT Tennis Stadium (Free spectator entry).
- International Representation: Players from 26 countries are competing across the 2026 tournament (Main draw runs November 2 to November 8).
Bhamidipaty returns from back injury as Tamil Nadu teenager Diya Ramesh earns home WTA 250 berth
Bhamidipaty (IND, 623) returns to tour action in Chennai after recovering from a back injury. At the 2025 edition of the Chennai Open, the 24-year-old reached the 2nd round of the singles main draw at the SDAT Tennis Stadium. She is joined in the qualifying wild card spots by 17-year-old Tamil Nadu youngster Diya Ramesh (IND, UNR), who has gained valuable match experience over the past 12 months on the domestic and international circuits.
The 16-player qualifying draw features a deep international line-up led by 2022 Chennai Open singles champion Linda Fruhvirtova (CZE, 153) and 2025 Chennai Open doubles finalist Storm Hunter (AUS, 146). Also headlining the qualifying entry list are Elsa Jacquemot (FRA, 135), who peaked at No. 53 in the world earlier this season, 18-year-old Mia Pohankova (SVK, 144), Mai Hontama (JPN, 163), Aliona Falei (BLR, 196), and former World No. 65 Erika Andreeva (RUS, 214).
A total of 26 countries are represented at the 2026 WTA 250 Chennai Open. Qualifying matches will be staged over 2 days at the SDAT Tennis Stadium in Nungambakkam, opening on Saturday, October 31 from 3:00 PM IST onwards and concluding on Sunday, November 1 from 4:00 PM IST onwards, with free stadium entry for fans across both qualifying days.
| Entry | Player & Ranking | Status | Tour & Chennai Open Highlight |
|---|---|---|---|
| WC 1 | Shrivalli Bhamidipaty (IND, 623) | Qualifying WC | 2025 Chennai Open main draw R16; returning from back injury. |
| WC 2 | Diya Ramesh (IND, UNR) | Qualifying WC | 17-year-old Tamil Nadu prospect making WTA 250 qualifying debut. |
| 1 | Storm Hunter (AUS, 146) | Direct Entry | 2025 Chennai Open doubles finalist & former doubles World No. 1. |
| 2 | Linda Fruhvirtova (CZE, 153) | Direct Entry | 2022 WTA 250 Chennai Open singles champion & former World No. 49. |
| 3 | Elsa Jacquemot (FRA, 135) | Direct Entry | Highest-ranked player in qualifying; career-high No. 53 in 2026. |
| 4 | Mai Hontama (JPN, 163) | Direct Entry | Japanese tour regular & former top-105 singles contender. |
| 5 | Erika Andreeva (RUS, 214) | Direct Entry | Former World No. 65 in singles competing in the 16-player draw. |
| 6 | Aliona Falei (BLR, 196) | Direct Entry | Top-200 hard-court contender entering the Chennai qualifying draw. |
| 7 | Mia Pohankova (SVK, 144) | Direct Entry | 18-year-old Slovak teenager ranked inside the top 145. |
| 8 | Kyoka Okamura (JPN, 241) | Direct Entry | Experienced Japanese hard-court campaigner. |
| 9 | Mei Yamaguchi (JPN, 257) | Direct Entry | Gives Japan 3 direct entrants in the qualifying draw. |
| 10 | Mariia Tkacheva (RUS, 628) | Direct Entry | 24-year-old hard-court titlist on the ITF circuit. |
| 11 | Darya Khamutsianskaya (BLR, 304) | Direct Entry | 22-year-old competing just outside the top 300. |
| 12 | Viktoria Morvayova (SVK, 274) | Direct Entry | 2nd Slovak player in the 16-player qualifying line-up. |
| 13 | Weronika Falkowska (POL, 287) | Direct Entry | Polish contender in both singles and doubles (No. 126 doubles). |
| 14 | Zhibek Kulambayeva (KAZ, 469) | Direct Entry | Kazakh BJK Cup regular rounding out the 14 direct acceptances. |
| Round | Match | Court | Scheduled Start Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Qualifying 1st Round (Featuring Shrivalli Bhamidipaty (IND, 623) & Diya Ramesh (IND, UNR)) | SDAT Tennis Stadium | Saturday, Oct 31 · 3:00 PM IST onwards |
| Q2 | Qualifying Final Round (4 Main Draw Berths Decided) | SDAT Tennis Stadium | Sunday, Nov 1 · 4:00 PM IST onwards |