By BD Narayankar
Bengaluru, Feb 19 (.) “I didn’t let Pune define me – I let Bengaluru redefine me.” In a sport where margins are slim and memory can be unforgiving, Vaishnavi Adkar’s words carried the weight of experience far beyond her years.
Just a week ago in Pune, at a 75K event, the young Indian stood on the brink of victory. She held two match points. The finish line was within sight. And then, without warning, her body began to cramp. The pain intensified. The match slipped away, not because she was outplayed, but because she physically could not continue.
It was the kind of loss that lingers – quiet, frustrating, unresolved. “That was somewhat playing in my head,” she said.
Fast forward to Bengaluru, where she was competing in the main draw of a W100 event for the first time in her career. The stage was bigger. The stakes were higher. And once again, she found herself deep in a long, physically demanding battle.
After dropping the first set, she resisted the temptation to overhaul her game.
“It’s not like I was playing bad in the first set, just a few points here and there. All I had to do was play my own game and focus on my own things instead of thinking about what the opponent was doing,” Vaishnavi told . in an interview after defeating Mai Hontama 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 in KPB Trust ITF Women Open W100 Bengaluru 2026.
That clarity steadied her. She fought back into the match, only to find herself serving for it at 5-4 – and missing a match point.
The echoes of Pune grew louder.
“It was a pretty long match and I started feeling the fatigue. She also played really well on some points and there was not much I could do. But I just had to hang in there and keep pushing till the end,” she said.
The contest drifted into a tie-break. At 2-5 down, fatigue was real, doubt was natural, and the past was hovering.
But this time, she refused to let history repeat itself.
“Last week in Pune, I had two match points but because I started cramping a lot, I had to concede the match. That was playing in my head. But today was a different match, a different day. I just had to keep pushing till the very last point.”
There was no desperation, only discipline.
“Every point matters in a tie-break. Even if you’re trailing by a couple of points, you can always come back. I just took it one point at a time and stayed in the present. It worked really well for me.”
Point by point, she clawed her way back. The fatigue did not disappear, but it no longer controlled her. When the final point was won, the relief was visible.
“It feels really good. It was a pretty long match, pretty exhausting, but I’m really glad that I could pull through and get the win.”
The victory is believed to be her first over a top-250 ranked opponent and marks her maiden quarterfinal appearance at the W100 level- notably in her first main-draw outing at that tier.
Support from her team also played a part.
“Having people like Balu sir and Rohan on my team today, it was just really helpful for me to pump up even more. I think that really helped me a lot,” she said.
Awaiting her in the quarterfinals is fourth seed Taylor Preston, a player she has never faced before.
“I’ve never played her before. It’s just about going on court, giving my best and trying to get the win,” Adkar said, unfazed.
For young athletes, growth is rarely linear. It often arrives disguised as disappointment. Pune tested her body and her resilience. Bengaluru tested her nerve and her memory.
This time, she did not allow the past to dictate the present. “I didn’t let Pune define me – I let Bengaluru redefine me.”
In that quiet act of defiance lies the essence of her breakthrough- not just a quarterfinal appearance, but the emergence of belief under pressure.
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