By BD Narayankar
Bengaluru, Feb 21 (.) “Some things are good to be kept a secret.” And with that teasing topspin of a line, young Vaishnavi Adkar added a splash of intrigue to an already sparkling week at the W100 in Bengaluru — a week in which she has marched past seeds, mastered nerves, and found herself one bold stride from a ITF W100 Bengaluru title.
She told . in an interaction after defeating second seed Lanlana Tararudee 6-3, 6-3 in the semifinals of the KPB Trust Women’s Open ITF W100 Bengaluru at SM Krishna Tennis Stadium here on Saturday.
The mystery, of course, swirls around her mentor Rohan Bopanna — India’s Grand Slam craftsman and former world No.1 doubles virtuoso. Asked to unpack their between-the-lines conversations, she smiled and shut the vault. “Better that I don’t get into it. Some things are good to be kept a secret.”
Yes, tennis loves its secrets — whispered strategies, coded glances, quiet revolutions in grip and grit. What is not secret is the surge in her game.
Indian tennis player Vaishnavi credited confidence from recent tournaments and the guidance of Bopanna for her impressive run here, saying she is “just one step away” from clinching the title after a string of hard-fought victories.
Getting into the main draw itself, she said, was a milestone. “This is just the third tournament of the year. The last two weeks we had a 125 in Mumbai and a 75 in Pune. In Mumbai, I played a pretty close match. Even though it didn’t go my way, I was very happy with the way I played and took a lot of positives from that,” she said.
Pune brought its own drama. “In the first round, I was winning the match but had an unfortunate incident where I started cramping very badly. I had to retire even when I had two match points. But despite the losses, I was playing really good tennis. That gave me confidence coming into this week.”
Confidence, in tennis, is a delicate bird. This week in Bengaluru, it has perched firmly on her shoulder. She has dismissed the eighth seed, the fourth seed and the second seed — a neat hat-trick of authority that speaks to belief as much as ball-striking.
“It feels amazing to pull off these wins. I’m really happy and proud of the way I’ve been playing,” she said.
The matches have been tight, tense and tactical — the sort that test lungs and logic alike.
“I’ve played close matches since the first round. That has helped me spend more time on court and gain exposure. The most important thing is that I’ve been enjoying being on court. Even though it’s physically tough, I’ve enjoyed the struggle, especially with the crowd support and my team around me.”
When momentum wobbled, she steadied it. “Nothing really was going on in my mind. It just helped my confidence further. I had to carry the momentum, stay focused and take it one point at a time without thinking about the what-ifs.”
And yes, the ancient tennis mantra, freshly minted in youthful calm. Calling tennis a mental game, she explained her coping craft.
“It’s just a few cues I have for myself. Now that coaching is allowed during these events, what my coach tells me between points also helps. I focus on a few important things irrespective of the score. Pressure is always there, but these things help me focus on the right aspects.”
There has even been talk of her backhand swing — some comparing its flourish to cricketer Yuvraj Singh’s. She waved that off with gentle amusement. “I haven’t really worked on a specific back swing. It has come very naturally and has been working out well.”
Natural, perhaps — but now sharpened by experience and perspective, some of it drawn from a mentor who has seen the sport’s highest balconies. Looking ahead, Vaishnavi is not shy about ambition.
“One of the biggest goals for 2026 is making the Billie Jean King Cup team as one of the main players and cracking the top 400 for sure,” she stated.
Clear targets. Quiet confidence. A secret strategy. And one match between her and a trophy. In a sport that thrives on drama, Vaishnavi has delivered it with a smile — and a sealed envelope of wisdom tucked neatly behind her racket strings.
. . .